Otome Dominato
by White Jem
Summary: AU Meet Naomi, a powerful 17-year-old priestess living in our time. Her beloved Katsumi Academy, an all girls' school, is to be merged with an all guys' school called Yasushi Academy! SessXOC Summary continued inside!
1. Don't Stop Believing

**Summary: AU Meet Naomi, a powerful 17-year-old priestess living in our time. Her beloved Katsumi Academy, an all girls' school, is to be merged with an all guys' school called Yasushi Academy! As the main representative for her school, Naomi is the first to say that this is an outrage! But the chairman, her uncle, is resilient to her protests. Starting that next year, the two schools will become one, as will their students. Get ready for the ultimate Battle of the Sexes, starting between our favorite Inudaiyoukai, and a fiery-tempered human girl!**

**Hey, guys! This is my first story, but I won't use that as an excuse if it sucks. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. I only own the ones I make up.**

_**And I know that the story seems kinda spastic, but it gets MUCHMUCHMUCH better later, (not to be arrogant, or anything) believe me…And if you don't, then I suppose that you'll just have to really read and see for yourself! XD haha**_

_**R&R!**_

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Journey) This song really basically summarizes the whole story in that both of the main characters have a world that they're used to, and when that world turns upside down, what will they do? Well, find out how they learn the real meaning of the phrase, 'Don't Stop Believing'!**_

_**Don't Stop Believing**_

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it." I insisted, already covering my hypothetical behind from the tall, imposing man sitting in front of me. I was just such a genius sometimes, always thinking ahead.

Or not.

"That's not what we're here to talk about, Miss Tomo." Mr. Tazaki said with sigh. I wasn't listening; I was too busy already pleading my case, if you could ever imagine _me_ pleading anything.

"That girl was asking for it and I …. Wait, it's not?" I said, halting my premature confession regarding a certain classmate that was strumming on my last nerve and by the end of the day, suspiciously ended up in the nurse's office with a grudging headache.

"Honestly," The Headmaster muttered. "They don't pay me enough for this." He sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No. Now sit down and I'll pretend I didn't hear all that." He motioned to a chair.

I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what his deal was. This was _not_ part of our daily routine. The way it usually went was: I get a summons, I already have a feeling of what the jig is, he reprimands me for it, I disregard him; blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, though, we just sit and have a nice cup of tea and have an intelligent conversation… Okay, maybe a can of soda every once in a while, but an _intelligent conversation_? Pft. Yeah, right! When hell freezes over!

I sat down, cautious as a paranoid wild animal. Something was up. I glanced around and decided that physically, I was safe as a caged bird. But I was still _caged_, and that bothered me; I wanted out.

"So what's up?" I said, taking my hands behind my head. I decided that if I was going to be here, I might as well get comfortable. This could take a while.

"The end of this year is approaching," he began. Unfortunately, I had little patience for preambles. He was the Headmaster, though, so I guess that had to count for something. I decided to humor him.

"…And with it goes the seniors, and in come the new first years..." He lumbered on. I wondered if he was going to ask me to help out with the opening ceremony this year. Nah, that would be stupid, seeing as how I'm the Student Council President, and would be obligated to help out anyway. So, if not that, what could he want?

Impatient, my thoughts as well as my eyes drifted, towards the ceiling, to be exact. I started rocking back and forth on the back two legs of my chair. The dull grey of the ceiling suddenly seemed so interesting...

"…Of both genders." He finished. I toppled to the floor, anime-style.

As quickly as I had fallen over, I got up, my temper rising as I did. I laid - more like slammed - my palms down on his desk and took a deep not-so-cleansing breath.

"_What_?" I shrieked. I was sure that my scream could've been heard throughout the grounds. I dearly hoped- _prayed_- that I had heard him wrong in my brief zoning out.

The Headmaster sighed yet again. If I hadn't been so riled up, I would've commended myself on a new personal record, as I'd made my principal sigh more times in one afternoon than I'd ever done before. Mind you, I would've been very proud. I hope this makes you realize just how upset this news had made me.

"You see, this is why I had you brought in _after_ school." He muttered. "Otherwise, you would've had all too many people to run to after you left my office screaming 'Bloody Murder' like I knew you would."

He had a point. I was predictable like that, I had to admit.

Mr. Tazaki rose from his seat and made to begin collecting his things.

"Come on," he said. "We can talk about this while I drive you home. Aniki will want to know about this."

That's right… Sometimes I forgot the stingy Headmaster was my uncle. My father's younger brother. I heard from **my** elder brother that Mother had told him once that my uncle had once been quite the devoted little brother.

While wrapped up in my reverie, I failed to notice my uncle had made his escape through the door. I grabbed my stuff and followed. Being the insanely tall person he is, he had already covered half of the main hallway in the office. The tall gene runs in my family, though, so I was able to match his stride without too much trouble.

I got straight to the point. I asked him the six basic interrogation questions, and was disappointed to find that there wasn't at all as much to it as I'd expected.

"So you're telling me that the Headmaster of this other single-sex academy is retiring, and you, out of pure generosity, offered to look after it for him?" This did not sound like the greedy uncle I knew.

"How simple minded you are, Naomi." He said stoically. Being out of the school and in the car by now, his usually strained demeanor relaxed as it always did after he was through with the working day. This meant that he now felt comfortable enough to address me by the first name.

He continued, "But, yes, that's the majority of the matter, though." He started engine and rolled down the windows. He put the small car in gear, and headed to my home.

I pressed further. "No money involved? No _female_ influence?"

"I'm not as corrupted as you seem to think I am, Naomi." He half-heartedly argued, not really believing it himself.

I scoffed. "Sure you are. You know it, I know it, and even Kimi-chan knows it, for Pete's sake! We can't all be wrong." I mentioned my baby sister just to emphasize my point. My uncle wasn't exactly a saint, going around helping just because he likes to help. With family or close friends he is more inclined to yield, but not for someone he barely knew. Something smelled fishy… and it wasn't the seafood stand we happened to be passing.

We arrived home, and I figured that my father would have a better shot at getting my uncle to spill the beans. I was wrong. He didn't even try, the coward. Father was like that, always accepting things for how they were. I had heard from Kazuki, my busybody but outstandingly good-looking elder brother, that this was one of the many said traits that inclined our Mother to marry Father.

But I digress. In the end, all I ended up getting from Uncle was that starting next school year, the boys' school, Yasushi Academy, would be shut down and they would merge with our school, Katsumi Academy.

Little did I know that this period of time, spanning from now till the beginning of the new school year, would be what I would come to call the "Calm Before the Storm."

**Sorry for the cheesy ending...please bear with it! It'll get better! lol (d^^b) **_**R&R!**_

**~White Jem~**


	2. Break Your Heart

**Also, for A/Ns, I tend to rant a bit, even within my own stories. So, to remedy the problem, I will use #s, put in between (). {Ex: (2)} ... Just so you know.**

**Sorry this chapter doesn't have a lot to do with the main plot of the story, but I couldn't resist tying up the loose end I created when I had Ari (Naomi's uncle) refuse to tell his niece the reason for his sudden change of heart. I thought this would kind of solidify his character, while at the same time imply the aura of change that I hope you will see going on in our main normally-cold-hearted people in the story.**

_**R&R!**_

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Tiao Cruz) Ari has been known to break many hearts, but never actually leading them on...He simply couldn't help them falling in love with him, even though he told them he is hard to please...But what happens when HE's now the one falling in love? **_

_**Break Your Heart**_

As I watched my niece fall into a blissful slumber, I pondered what my niece had asked me.

"_No money involved? No __**female**__ influence?"_ She had sneered. Did she truly think me that corrupted? Not that I could blame her. The girl had never seen me help an old woman cross a busy street, let alone offer to run another school out of the goodness of my heart. She probably doubted I had a heart at all, the way she acted.

I bid good-bye to my elder brother and his wife, after peering through my niece's bedroom door for a moment. I smirked at the thought of her reaction if she had caught me doing that.

_"What are you, a pervert? Get out!" _Then, she would presumably throw something to the effect of a vase or CD player at my head, only to hit the already-closed door. Her antics and her predictable temper were the few things that could loosen me up after the week was done.

Feeling the wind streaming in the windows and running through my raven hair, I resisted the urge to close my eyes. (I was driving, after all.)

My mind then wandered back to Naomi's earlier question. Why _had _I done it? In truth, even_ I_ didn't fully understand why I had accepted the task in the first place. Was it that I felt sorry for the old man? No; if it had been that alone, I would have simply asked him to pay me for my services, and that was if I had taken a bizarre liking to the border-line senile old coot. Or… was it because I owed him a favor?

I shook my head. I didn't, at least not to _him_, personally.

A smiling face, framed by luscious shoulder-length brown hair and bejeweled by sparkling blue eyes that shone like the stars, flashed through my mind. Yeah, this was probably _her_ doing, that damn woman. Although, thinking back on it now, it couldn't have all just been a mere set-up. Not that I thought her dim-witted, but she had made it clear when I found out who she really was that things like that aren't normally at the top of her to-do list. I suppose I learned to trust her, despite my initial suspicions about her intentions.

_Flashback:_

_I frowned deeply at the uncomfortable-looking woman sitting in front of me. I figured that this was well within the old man's rights, but still, this was a low assumption. _

_The delicate female had on a snug-fitting, low cut azure dress that clung to her (probably early blooming) body. I could safely assume that this was probably meant to arouse me somehow. _

'_So, the old man plans to have his little girl seduce me, is that it?' I thought, my usually dormant temper rising at the mere thought of something so treacherous. _

_I smirked. I was not going to be so easily won. _

_We were sitting in a fancy foreign restaurant that her father had so __**generously**__ paid for. _

_The young woman finally spoke up. _

"_I'm really very sorry about how all this looks." She said, her nervous gaze flickering down to her attire. _

_I stared at her dully, all the while thinking, 'Why should she apologize for something she agreed to?' Unless, of course, she hadn't. _

_I tested my theory._

"_You mean to tell me that your father forced you into…" I paused, not sure how to phrase my disgusted thoughts, "__**that**__?" _

"_I don't expect you to believe me, Mr. Tazaki, judging by the suspicious glare you've been giving me all evening." She stopped. Then, she, inexplicably, began to giggle. _

_I was, needless to say, dumbfounded. What could possibly be so funny? _

_Again, I voiced my thoughts._

"_I'm sorry," she said between breaths. "You looked so cheated." She started to laugh again. "I just thought it was so funny!"_

_So she had a sense of humor, did she? _

_It was true, I did feel cheated. I thought I was going to get a good business dinner that was all paid for, and have the 'no' clearly insinuated by the time the appetizers arrived. Looks like I won't be having as much of a pleasurable evening as I had thought. In fact, this unpleasant fact only spoiled things further. Her previous comment took the cake._ _She could see all that? Not to brag, but I almost pride myself on being a person that isn't very easy to read. Did my control slip? _

_We continued to chat, although, even to this day, I'm not exactly sure that you could say we "hit it off" in any way. _

_I noticed the way her movements were cautious as she ordered, and even more so at one point when she wanted the salt. She requested it in the normal manner, but she didn't bend at all to receive the object. She simply extended her arm. I suppose both of these occurrences were a show of genuine modesty, and thereby proving that she had not been the mastermind by behind her father's now-obvious scheme. _

_We finished our meal, and I returned her to her father, while keeping the impression that her antics at dinner had not affected me at all whatsoever. The two of us parted, and my mind was plagued by her jubilant face all night and throughout the next day. While I am ignorant of her state of mind that night, I sincerely hope the feeling was mutual. _

_End Flashback_

I sighed. And that wasn't the last time we had a seemingly fated meeting, either. I shook my head as I got out of my car and climbed the steps to enter my abode. I had been so careless, it was shameful.

I thought back on the incident.

_Flashback:_

_There wasn't anything I enjoyed more than a good cup of coffee after work. Naomi never failed to enlighten me on her opinion regarding my "old man-ish" habits. Not that I actually care what she thinks. Hell, if I did, I wouldn't be strolling to the café at this moment. _

_Even a stranger could've told you I was in a spacey mood. The kind that has you walking distractedly in front of ongoing traffic… _

_The cross light had been on "Don't Walk" when I had first laid eyes on it, which was when I was a block away. Not unlike my niece, I liked to look ahead, but unlike her, I usually took into account what I looked ahead to, and planned accordingly. _

_But not today. _

_I glanced at the crossing screen off-handedly. Still "Don't Walk". Halfway through my current block, the light switched to green and people began to stroll across the street. My pace did not quicken. I would get there when I got there, and I knew that time would be before the cross light turned back to its original state. (1)_

_The light turned red and started flashing. This meant that people should start crossing now if they wanted to get across. I knew I had about twenty seconds left before the street lights turned, I had crossed this street so many times before, using the same route to get to the Café I usually went to._

_I reached the edge of the sidewalk. I did not, like every well-raised child, look both ways before crossing the street. Because of the walk signal, I did not think it necessary. I did not waver. I stepped into the street. _

_Looking back, it would have been easy to understand that someone had merely gotten impatient, and since there was no one currently crossing, decided to just run the red light. _

_A car was parked to my left as I began to cross. Even if I'd had the capacity to glance in that direction, in the end, it wouldn't have mattered. The oncoming car was blocked from my line of vision. Unfortunately, the same happened to be true for the driver of the machine._

_I couldn't see him, and he couldn't see me. _

_End Flashback_

That should've been the end of it. I should've been hit, and paid for my carelessness with my life. It wasn't that I wanted to die, but if I had, I wouldn't have had anyone to blame but myself.

It should've happened that way, but, miraculously, it didn't.

_Start Flashback_

_Something, or more accurately, someone, pulled me back. I had been walking in one direction, blissfully unaware of how close I was about to brush with Death. _

_She grabbed me by my hand and swung me around to face her. She was surprisingly strong, for someone of her size and stature. Losing the glazed look from my eyes, I glanced, startled, in her direction. The automobile that would have been my demise rushed past me, blowing my long raven strands forward to settle over my collar bone. _

_Our eyes locked. They stayed that way for I don't even recall how long. I was still paralyzed. Did she just… _

"_I don't know, but… you probably want to get out of the street before something like that happens again." The girl said shyly, looking concerned. _

_How I hated being the damsel in distress. _

_I smoothly joined her back up on the curb. It had just occurred to me: How did she see the car, when I, an obviously taller person, could not? The answer was revealed to me when I got up on that curb. It wasn't that I couldn't have seen it and she did, but that I wasn't looking for what could've killed me._

_End Flashback_

After that, we crossed that damned street at the next opportunity. Luckily, the girl didn't insult me further by holding my hand this time. On the contrary, she acted as if nothing had happened. We, safely and soundly, reached the other sidewalk with me finishing a vow to myself that I would never cross another street so late again. The woman and I went our separate ways, but not before I finally learned what her name was. I'd never asked, and rectified this error.

"Kiromi?" I asked, making sure I had it right.

"Yes, that's correct." She said, smiling sweetly at me. I had never realized just how much I had grown to be comfortable around this girl.

Without another word, she bowed and headed in the other direction and let that be her final silent farewell.

So that was it; I owed her one. That was why I agreed to the old man's request. I also probably didn't want to admit how fond I'd grown of her in the short periods of time we'd been together. Besides that, who knows what Naomi would say if she ever found out…Oh, wait, I do. I could hear her now.

_"Ha! Ari has a girlfriend!" _She would sneer. After she had recovered from oxygen deficiency that was sure to follow from laughing so hard she would say, _"Now, dude, what'd the poor girl ever do to you, huh?"_ Yep, she'd have a field day with that one, alright. You can plainly see why the option of telling her the reason why I did what I did was out of the question.

_Oh, well, _I thought, sliding into bed for a good night's sleep. _What's done is done. _With that thought, I turned out the light and drifted off into what I prayed would be a blissfully dreamless sleep.

**I wanted to point out that while Ari keeps insisting that he cares not what Naomi thinks, I tried to make it obvious how much of a lie that is. He cares more than he says he does. (Again, sound like someone we know?) Just wanted that off my chest.**

**A/Ns:**

**(1): I'm basing this on how American cross lights work. Truthfully, I have no idea how they work in Japan.**

**~White Jem~**


	3. Living On a Prayer

**Okie-Dokey, this is the first chapter that is going to start to introduce the plot. I'll warn you now, there isn't going to be a very complicated one, since this is about school life, but bear with me. If there is, you'll see it. (Hopefully…if not, then feel free to ask! =)**

**Here you go!**

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Bon Jovi) Naomi and the girls have no idea what's going to happen to their school and its students, but whatever happens, they will never back down from a challenge or the chance to 'give it a shot'.**_

_**Living On a Prayer**_

~Naomi~

_BringBring!,_ The alarm clock said.

_Damn. _I thought, pulling the covers up and over my head. Not that that would keep out the sound, but hey, I wasn't a morning person.

_Brrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiii-_

I cut it off, slamming my fist down on the blasted machine, taking out my frustrations on it.

That was my normal routine. It was, I daresay, a lot like other girls' my age, albeit a bit less violent.

I grudgingly sat up, and glanced at the poor, innocent device that now had to be made of Titanium so that I couldn't break it every morning.

It read half-past six_. _

_Great_, I thought. _Well, at least I'm on time._

I chuckled sardonically._ That's a first. _

It was true. I would usually wake up, pummel my clock, and roll over to go back to sleep. Lucky for me, Mother is very gracious and comes to get me if I didn't make an immediate appearance at breakfast. She also tells me that meals sound the way it does when I'm out for the night: eerily silent.

When I go over to a friend's house to sleep over, my family always says to me that the house was strangely quiet in my absence. They said it was more peaceful, too. That part pissed me off. I mean, what did that make me, a trouble-maker?

I went down to eat breakfast with my family. Kazuki was already sitting, along with Kimi-chan in her high chair on his right.

Kimi-chan is only three, but already she is quite talkative. I personally can't wait until she's old enough to go to preschool. I hoped she'll give her teachers hell just like her onee-sama. Again, I don't try, it just comes naturally. Most people get used to it. Those that don't, well…they make their own lives harder.

Kazuki is easily the best dictionary/encyclopedia/gossip/elder brother anyone could ever hope for. He had his resources, and did his research on his topics. That made him perfect for valuable information. Of course, as his sister, I had first dibs. His favorite saying to live by is, predictably, "Knowledge is power." Fits, doesn't it?

"Itadakimasu!" I said, thanking my mother for the meal.

I ate, as usual, at my own pace. Kimi-chan was the only one that did not eat the same stuff as everybody else, seeing as she's three.

I finished, and made that clear by declaring "Gochisoosama!". After that, I practically flew to the door and put on my shoes.

"Ittekimasu!" (I'm leaving now!) I said. "Ja ne!"

I picked up my bag and was off, my pace brisk.

For those of you who are wondering, no, I am not late for school, nor do I desire to get there early for the sole purpose of doing the homework I had been so 'conveniently' forgotten of last night when I was busy worrying about what Uncle's motives were. On the contrary, the reason I went to the Academy earlier than usual was so I would have time to fill the gang in on the lowdown. They would be just about as happy about the change in plans as I had been, and, needless to say, I had _not _been very pleased about the unexpected turn of events.

I could hear them now…

My original thoughts had been that Kagome and the others would scream and ask what the hell the deal was, very much like I had. Turns out, I was only half right; I got a lot of _different_ responses.

I got a "-the hell?", "WTF!", a couple of just plain "_wha_'?"s (I commended them on that one). I even got a few people who had nothing to say on the subject. These were the people that didn't seem surprised, no matter what happened. Those would be Akira and Kikyo. Again: surprise, surprise.

The most memorable response to my news was the ones I received from Kagome and Sango.

"He _did_ _not_!" Kagome said indignantly.

"He can't do that!" Sango practically shouted.

"Apparently, he can and just did." Akira said, calm as ever. She was one of my best friends, but sometimes that cool attitude of hers could really grate on my nerves.

"Indeed." Kikyo agreed, as she nodded. I rolled my eyes. Again, not surprisingly, _she_ was no help.

We were in a classroom that was, as of now, unused. The desks were already moved out of the way, and most of us were residing on the floor. Some of us, though, had drawn out some of the stored desks simply because we were too lazy to stand the whole time. That and some of the other girls had gone weak in the knees.

The windows in the room faced east, so we were getting a nice bit of sunshine while we had our little chat. That did not, however, do anything for most of our moods.

In the classroom were some of the most well-known students on campus. Many were recognized for the different skills that they possessed. Some were demons; some were priestesses, like me and Kagome. We even had a demon slayer amongst us. The youkai among us had quickly learned that Sango would never do anything to harm a demon that had not done any harm to the beings around them; we all knew she had her own demon cat, Kirara, her main partner in battle, which was a major key to the trust of the more sophisticated demons in the area.

"I don't see how a having a bunch of guys around is a problem." The notorious flirt outside school, Kagura, said.

I let out a strained breath in an attempt to keep my temper. (I didn't have much patience when it came to people like Kagura.) "It's a _problem_, Kagura, because those _guys _are just gonna waltz in here and think they own the place. They're automatically going to think they are on the top of the food chain, when, really, it should be the other way around."

Heads nodded. They knew as well as I that boys were pigs until they reached their mid-thirties, and some even after _that_. We, with the exception of Kagura and her followers, valued our independence. We weren't about to give it up just because some higher power says so. Normally that's the rule of thumb, but we didn't exactly go by the status quo, now did we?

"So what do we do?" said Shunran, little sister of Toran. She was a mischievous little devil underneath all that fake innocence. Her two elder sisters also went here, and they stood together, no matter what. That was what I respected about them.

"Yeah," a few others agreed, turning to me. They wanted me to lead them. Well, you didn't have to tell me twice. I would be **more **than happy to be the mastermind behind Operation: Female Dominance. All we needed now was to make it unanimous.

"We show them who's in charge." I opened my previously closed lids and began to look everyone in the eye individually. I gave them my trademark overly-confident smirk. "We show them who's boss, who was here before them, and who'll still be here long after they've left our territory to go crying to their mommies like the Momma's Boys they are." I paused for effect.

I saw heads swivel and nod, looks being exchanged. They liked the sound of that. I knew they would. Now, to seal the deal...

"You all remember what it was like to enter our Academy and have to earn your place. You recall how others seemed to rule over your status until you stood up for yourself." I had, by this time, stood up and stared to pace around the room. I could feel their gazes set intently on me.

I turned up the heat. "Well, now it's your turn to be in control. Let's show those wanna-be men how wrong they are to think they can just come in and treat us like meek little house wives." I declared. I knew full well that most of my statements were generalized, not to mention biased, but I didn't care.

"I'm with Naomi," Kagome and Sango said simultaneously. "What do ya say, ladies?"

"I don't know, what do you say?" They echoed, wanting to hear my final opinion on the matter.

"I say," I ceased pacing and faced them, grinning confidently, "We show them **exactly** who they're dealing with." There wasn't any need to repeat myself further. I had gotten my point across. My overly-dramatic speech had had the desired effect. They wanted in.

"So who's with me?" I asked, urging them to their feet as I shoved a closed fist in the air.

The small crowd in front of me erupted in cheers. They'd heard all they needed to. Whoever ended up standing in their way from this point on, it sure as hell wasn't gonna be me.

We were going to fight for what we wanted, even if it meant we had to pull a few strings and bend a few rules. After all, you gotta break a few eggs if you want an omelet, right?

As of the first moment one of these intruders set foot on this campus at the beginning of the new school year, it would be _on_.

I smirked. Let the games begin.

~Kikyo~

I watched as the people in the room began to make arrangements for self-defense classes taught by Naomi over summer break. Someone had brought up the point that they would need to know how to keep some of these boys off their backs, literally. They pointed out that the new students would probably be girl-deprived, coming from a single-sex education facility not unlike ours.

Naomi readily agreed and times were set. This girl never ceased to amaze not only me, but everyone around her with her fierce independence and the iron will that was as utterly impenetrable as a diamond fortress.

I could tell people were still riled up and ready to go to battle against the new boys as if the new school year started tomorrow.

_She can muster an army, I'll give her that much._ If there's one thing that she'll never be without, it's people that are willing to go to bat for her, to protect her. She had many friends in high places, and if not friends, then allies.

_She'll never be without support at her back._ I thought sagely.

It was true. Even if I wasn't her best friend, I would still come to her aid without hesitation.

_Besides,_ I thought, _Kaede is fond of her, and so is Kagome. She can't be all bad._ I distinctly remember thinking the same thing around two years ago when we had first met. I had thought her immature then as well, but she wasn't so as much as she acted. Her only problems were that she let her imagination run away with her, and she leaned solely on the first impression she makes on someone. The new guys simply had the bad luck of already unknowingly giving her a reason to hate them, though she hadn't met them yet.

I had a feeling, however, that she would soon learn that first impressions are not always accurate and that not everything is as it seems.

**Srry again, you guys for another Fluffy-less chapter. He'll be in the next one, though, I promise. Also, for the cheesy ending... again, happens. **

**For those of you who think that I made Naomi too much of an overly-dramatic cheesecake, I'm sorry for that...but it'll**** GET BETTER****, I promise. Bear with me; I truly believe that my writing ****GETS BETTER**** with each and every chapter that I write for you guys...And so does the plot.**

_**SO PLEASE!**_**,**** BEFORE ****you neglect to read the rest of the story, know that I just want to get better, and to write. I like to do it and I can only hope that you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! **

_**R&R**_** plz! **

**Ja ne!**

**~White Jem~**


	4. Teenage Dream

**Hey guys! **

**Also, I am so glad I had posted the previous chapters before my computer went bonkers. I would've had, like, a mental break down, or something! lol**

**Here you go!**__

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Katy Perry) Naomi dreams of HER teenage dream. She isn't necessarily thinking of a certain dog demon when she fantasizes, but he's there, forever in her teenage dreams...and her future. **_

_**Teenage Dream**_

~Naomi~

I came home from school that day feeling righteously self-satisfied.

_Today was remarkably productive, if I do say so myself. _I thought, walking in the door. After shouting "Tadaima!" when I walked through the door, I was greeted by my mother, who looked as if she had something to ask me.

"Do you want to come with me to the market, dear?" My mother asked politely. Honestly, even to her own daughter, she sounds like she lives in the 18th century, talking like that! If I hadn't known her for, well, all my life, I'd think I was a stranger to her. But I know her well enough to know that that's just the way she is: sweet and level-headed. I don't have the faintest idea _where_ I got **my **temper, not that it matters.

I still had homework to catch up on from my procrastination from the day before. My mom could take care of herself, and I'd probably just be in her way anyhow.

I said so.

"Oh, honey, I love your company," she pouted. "You know that."

"That's okay, Mom," I said, shrugging. "I'll just hang here. I've got homework to do anyways."

Smiling, I headed up the stairs to do the said assignments. "You go on ahead."

"Alright dear, if you insist." Mother said, preparing what she thought she needed for her shopping trip.

I saw her off and started on the brushed off homework. It had been a mere stroke of luck that our teacher caught some illness, and my homeroom had been forced to listen to a substitute lecture about stuff that all of us knew he knew nothing about. Luckily, though, we hadn't been stupid enough to tell him we had homework due from the day before, and we were off the hook.

I wasn't about to tempt my fate by putting off my assignments yet another day. It just wasn't my style. If I got lucky once, I thanked the gods, went on, and changed what I needed to in order to make any 'divine intervention' unnecessary.

In my room, I set diligently to work. I was almost finished with the last of my Calculus, when I sensed something strange. A powerful aura was headed my way, and fast.

I weighed my options. I could, one, ignore the impending aura and finish my homework that was overdue as it was or, two, go up and see what the hell dared to disturb me in my hour of dreaded homework.

Deciding on a combination of the two, I did away with some of the nagging problems until the aura was too close to ignore. When that happened, I snapped my book shut and calmly gathered the things I thought I might need. After that, I headed up the stairs to the roof with every intention of making this little talk/fight as short as possible. I had things to do, and I wasn't about to unnecessarily waste my time on trivial stuff like this.

While climbing the stairs, I found that the aura didn't seem like it was usually this weak. It felt incomplete, which probably meant that the master was injured. This complicated things a bit; I didn't enjoy fighting beings, human or demon, that couldn't properly defend themselves. I was above such things.

I resolved not to attack unless it attacked first, and I wasn't really sure how likely that would be, though it **is **a demon we're talking about, and a normally very powerful one at that.

As I reached the rooftop door, I didn't hesitate; better to get this over with sooner than later.

I opened the door.

The sudden burst of sunlight blinded me momentarily, but I didn't let that stop me. I barreled through and looked around immediately, trying to pinpoint the source of the previously powerful aura.

There, lying in what must have been a mixture of his own blood and that of another demon's, was what I assumed to be a very formidable opponent on any day _but_ today. He had silvery hair that continued to glisten even when it was streaked with blood. His ears were pointed like an elf of some sort, and he had talons that looked as though they could cut through diamond as if it were butter. He had twin stripes on either side of his face, but because of the overuse of his apparently vast demonic power, they looked more bled outward, like a water color painting, than straight, as I assumed they usually were.

There was also a crescent moon in the center of his forehead, marking his species.

He was an Inu, and, judging by his platinum hair, he was also one of _white_ species, which made him a rare and powerful one at that.

The stripes, plus the crescent moon were, as I had learned, marks inherited only by the most powerful of youkai.

His clothing was a strange design, but it didn't _not_ suit him. Quite the contrary, actually. His black, sleeveless, spandex-like shirt clung to his shoulders and chest, showing off the perfectly toned upper body that was unarguably underneath.

He was undoubtedly the most attractive male that I'd ever seen, and I'd seen quite a few. It was a known fact that most demon males were more naturally attractive with their exotic looks, than human guys. By just looking at him, I guessed that this demon was gorgeous even among his own kind… Not that I would care about something like that.

I approached him cautiously, expecting him to jump up and snarl at me.

He sprang up, and the bangs that had previously lain limp against his forehead now levitated on his skin as he flared his aura.

I defiantly flaunted my own aura as well (mainly out of reflex), letting him know I wasn't going to back out so easy. However, realizing that the impending physical confrontation would take even more time, I quickly reigned it back in.

His growling only increased as I inched closer. His muscles were as taut as a wire, ready to pounce at any moment.

_Wait! _I thought. _Hold up a second! The guy's on MY roof! Not the other way around! He is injured and isn't showing any indication that he's gonna be moving any time soon, and he's __snarling__ at __**me**__? On __**my**__ territory? What kind of a dog is he, trespassing like this! Is he stupid or something? _

Someone needed to put this dog in his place (because he was way out of line), and if I had to be the one to do it, I would, if only to make him **shut up**_!_

"Would you knock that _off_!" I snapped, quickly tiring of his incessant, desperate attempt to try to frighten me with his aura. I put my hands on my hips. "If you have enough energy to growl at me instead of healing yourself, like you _should_ be doing, then you can get the hell off my roof!"

I realized that yelling at the incapacitated demon would get nowhere. Even if I could get close enough to tend him, my ears would be shot by the time I was finished. And _that_ was if he even let me touch him I the first place, which was a stretch as it was!

Closing my eyes, I quietly switched to Plan B. By this time, I'd gotten to eventually kneel beside him. Since it was pointless to startle him by moving too fast, and at the same time wasting energy to pull up from the half-bending over position and straining my knees, I let myself go into that position.

Once there, I calmly pulled my weight up, turned on my heel, and walked away. I would let the aggressive demon draw his own conclusions about my actions; I didn't need to explain myself to him! I would, in the meantime, prepare to put Plan B into motion.

~Sesshoumaru~

Inconceivable.

I couldn't believe it.

That little slip of a human girl had dared to venture that close! That aside, all I wanted to know is why I hadn't lopped off her head at the first sign of her blatant insolence.

As much as I hated it, I had to admit she was…right?...about me not exactly being within my bounds.

I had reacted naturally, being in the weak state I was, by immediately being aggressive towards her.

She just continued to stare at me, as if trying to figure me out somehow. Hn. As if _any_ human could understand me the way _she _had seemed to be trying to. I suppose _maybe _Rin, but I would still never admit that out loud.

I had been lying on my back, facing away from her when she arrived. I had been only vaguely aware of the level of her powers, because of the pitiful state I was in, but I knew she was there.

When I knew she had seen me, and had no intention of leaving me be, I had reacted on instinct. Although, come to think of it, I probably would've done the same thing even if I had been half-sane at the time. She had no right to approach me as she did.

I increased the volume of my growl. I was beginning to get frustrated. _Why _wasn't she intimidated? If anything, she looked immensely irritated within an inch of her life! As if I, Sesshoumaru, the all-powerful soon-to-be-leader of the dominating _Shiro-Inu _Clan could _ever_ be dubbed as irritating. The girl's nerve was completely incomprehensible!

She suddenly stilled, as if she had just thought of something monumental. Whatever plan she that had suddenly presented itself to her, it doubtlessly wouldn't involve me getting any peace and quiet anytime soon.

The girl suddenly exploded into a rant that left me wondering _who,_ exactly, this girl really was. I had been unconsciously aware of her aura flaring angrily at me, but only now did it become _truly _prominent. The girl had power, and obviously a lot of control, (How else would she stop her power from wreaking havoc everything around her?), though the said control didn't seem to do her much good, with that temper of hers.

The girl regained some of her composure while I was still stunned at the imposition anyone had dared to raise their voice to _me_; she had crept up to my side without my notice. But instead of touching me, she straightened and walked away. I tempted to think that she had suddenly lost her mind. After yelling at me, and telling me off (or so she seemed to think), she just stood up and walked away, without another word.

Not that I had any desire to hear her voice again, but still.

The human's power was a threat; I couldn't deny that glaring reality.

_However,_ I thought, _even with all the power in the world, a human is __**still**__ just a human. _I scoffed, _And as such the humans could never __truly____stand up to a demon of __**my**__ caliber; it was a fact of nature._

Or so I thought.

**Plz **_**R&R**_**! You will make me very happy! d^-^b**

**Ja ne, everybody!**

**~White Jem~**


	5. Just Haven't Met You Yet

**Yo!**

**I strongly recommend listening to this song while reading the chapter! It's really great! Plus, it fits the chapter and story pretty well to boot! ^^**

**Here you go! Enjoy!**

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Michael Buble) Even though Naomi obviously met her match, she still believes that she just hasn't met him yet...**_

_**Just Haven't Met You Yet**_

~Naomi~

I pondered my situation, while gathering the supplies I had thought I wouldn't need.

Sighing, I tied a knot in the strings at the top of the bag with a flourish. Tonight really _wasn't_ my lucky night.

Heading back up the stairs, I wondered why I even bothered to help the stuck-up demon out in the first place. I mean, it wasn't like my parents had any sort of spiritual power, in any shape or form, so they wouldn't be able to ever sense him anyways.

_It's probably just become instinct to help a person out; I never really __**want**__ to, but it's become a habit, I guess, to try and do the right thing. _I shook my head. _But maybe I was just over-thinking things._

Halfway up the stairs, I decided it was useless to attempt to fight the impulse; I would try to just go with the flow.

For now.

~Sesshoumaru~

As I lay there, I pondered how I got into this demeaning situation.

_Oh, yes_, I thought. _I remember._

Damn that demon. Because of him, I was now reduced to this pitiful state. The incident made my remaining blood boil just thinking about it.

It had started very simply. He had been trespassing, and I either wanted him dead, or off my land; whichever came first. He had refused, and we fought. I had been careful to take the fight to a cleared, secluded area, where no one could interfere or get involved in our squabble. Not that I cared what happened to any of them.

Even with my guard up, and my superior senses, I still had to reluctantly admit that injuries happen, no matter how careful (and in my case, powerful) you are.

I was snapped out of my reverie with the sound of the rooftop door being shut clumsily. The little human strolled towards me, looking very much at ease, even though she was approaching one of the most dangerous youkai in the country, perhaps excluding Father.

She looked very over-confident, which was easily corrected…if one had the energy to do so, and I, unfortunately, did not.

I closed my eyes and refused to look at the female.

I would leave the human to her own devices. Maybe she would change her mind and leave before someone got hurt.

Or not.

~Naomi~

I walked straight up to him and looked him in the eye as I kneeled down to his level.

In the time I had been gone, he had regained some of his...ok, _all_, of his composure. His eyes were now back to what I assumed was his normal color. He had used what looked to be a furry pelt of some sort under his back to support his weight.

Twin amber pools briefly stared at me as we tried (or at least I did) to come to a peaceful, silent agreement. I hoped that he would see things my way, and this would go very smoothly. He would let me tend him, he would heal, and he would be gone, and we'd never have to see each other again.

Sounds like a keeper, right?

_Wrong!_

As I reached out to undo what remained of the clasps holding his shirt together, he suddenly growled low at me, and then spoke,

"Don't touch me." He said, closing his eyes again and turned his face away.

I couldn't believe how rude, not to mention ungrateful, this guy was being!

"Excuse me, but exactly _whose_property do you think you're lounging on here?" I spat. He had to be the most pigheaded guy I'd ever encountered!

He didn't look perturbed in the least. On the contrary, he looked as if he met a verbal challenge like this every day.

"Your generosity is wasted, as I refuse to accept help from a mere _human_." He said. He had a look on his arrogant features that said he would just love to be left alone right now.

But hell if I was going to give him what he wanted when he talked to me like _that!_

"Are you always such an ass to people who are trying to help you, out of the goodness of their hearts?" I snapped, hoping he soon realized how much my temper was starting to build.

"Only to beings idiotic enough to even suggest such a fool's idea." He shot back, going on to insult not only my race, but my intellect as well.

_Fool's?_! Okay, that did it! Now it was _**really**_ time for Plan B! This thick-headed demon was _not _going to talk down to me, especially on my own rooftop!

I took a deep breath to calm myself. It would not help if I got him suspicious. Unfortunately, that was exactly what my 'calming' seemed to do; he finally looked at me.

Too bad I was so worked up over his last comment. Otherwise, I would've blushed at the intensity of which his eyes burned, seemingly staring straight through me, and into my soul.

~Sesshoumaru~

She took a deep breath, and on the exhale, let out a sound like she was really making an effort to hold her temper. I wasn't sure I liked how much I enjoyed that sound. Purely instinctual, of course, however, it is perfectly normal for dog demons to enjoy comforting sounds. (Simply because that was our ancestors' primary way of communicating.)

Still, I didn't enjoy being a slave to my instincts. This Sesshoumaru was slave to no one, even himself!

Suddenly, the object of my thoughts threw a powdery substance into my face, and in the process infecting my eyes and nose.

They burned badly, but I tried not to let that show on my face. Everything was getting blurry, and my sensitive sense of smell was being overrun by the sweet, but overpowering scent of the powder that had been flung into my face.

The girl seemed to know exactly what was going on, if the calm but smug look in her eyes was any indication.

_Well, of __**course**__! _I thought to myself. _She's the one who did it to me in the first place!_

This witch was going to pay, and very dearly, when I awoke.

I told her so.

She chuckled mockingly. "I'm _sure._" She said tauntingly, her face becoming more and more obscured by the moment.

I tried to look as dignified as possible as everything went black.

~Naomi~

I smirked in triumph. Not only did my Plan B irritate the eyes, but it also attacks the sensitive nose of a higher class demon. Under normal circumstances, even the dumbest of demons wouldn't have fallen for that one!

I almost felt bad for taking advantage of the situation. This guy's defenses were low, and his reflexes decelerated. Plus, he looked like he spaced out there for a minute.

Whatever he had been thinking about must've been pretty important…

I recovered from my minor and insignificant victory and began my self-imposed task.

I tended to his wounds, and then, figuring I didn't have a I whole bunch of time before the demon woke up and decided to incapacitate me permanently, I decided to scram while I could.

Heading down the stairs yet _**again**_, I thought silently about the next time I would check in on my demon.

~Sesshoumaru~

Through the haze that was the girl's spell, I felt a gentle touch. This could not have been the same spitfire I had met a mere half an hour ago.

Another thought suddenly occurred to me.

Why?

Why would she so willingly reach out to help me even though she has nothing to gain for her trouble. It was quite the opposite, really. She would have everything to lose by aiding me; her pride, respect for herself and from her parents, even her head, if I hadn't been who I was.

I just couldn't figure the girl out.

Aside from the fact that I had unwillingly grown attached to her voice and touch in such a short time, I also disliked how much this situation looked like the incident with Rin. The circumstances had been similar, although back then, my idiot half-brother had lost control of his demon blood, and let loose his first unavoidable Backlash Wave on me.

I hadn't really beat myself up about it because in the end, I had underestimated the _sword_ and how much power it was willing to give the hanyou, not the half-breed himself. There wasn't anything he could do that I couldn't.

Grudgingly, I felt the girl's presence retreating, and her spell mimicking its mistress.

I would be out of here before dawn broke the next morning.

The girl's actions were unnecessary, to say the least. I didn't need her help. The demon I had previously confronted had been formidable, but it was still nothing compared to Tetsusaiga's power. I would easily recover; The girl's administrations were pointless; however, they would definitely help me to heal faster than I normally would have. (Though I would never say so out loud.)

I probably _should _thank her, but there truly wasn't any need. It wasn't as if the injuries had been fatal, and no one had asked her to do what she did.

So why?

~Naomi~

I really was at a loss of _why._

It was ridiculous, really. I probably had more self-confidence than many other girls on the planet, and yet…

I had to grudgingly admit that I might not have known myself as well as I thought I had.

I decided to return after I finished my neglected homework, and now that I had finally finished without any more interruptions, I went to check up on the demon.

Luckily, he hadn't moved. And, much to my surprise, he didn't look as if he had undone any of the work I had done on him.

As I approached, I realized he was sleeping.

His eyes were closed, and I only now got a good look at him without having to flare my aura. I noticed magenta markings, just above his eyelids, and figured they were yet another symbol of his _esteemed_ heritage.

He didn't seem to be in any pain, and his face remained quite peaceful (though I was sure he was awake and just ignoring me).

It looked like my work here was done. I realized that I probably was just fretting over nothing, and he probably really would've been fine on his own. But, one of the faults that I have, just like anyone else, (although I'm too proud to admit it, sometimes) is that I'm sometimes prone to getting weird surges of what seemed to be a maternal instinct.

I always feel an urge to help whenever my friends and family were hurt or upset. But this guy wasn't a friend; he wasn't even an official acquaintance, for that matter!

Getting yet another surge of the said predisposition, as I rose from my kneeling position, I quietly whispered,

"Take care…." I surprised even myself. Where did _that _come from and why did I care?

Suddenly thanking whatever gods that listened that it was dark (so as to hide the blush that rose upon my cheeks, as a result of my unchecked thoughts), I quickly turned on my heel, walked down the stairs, and back into my home.

~Sesshoumaru~

I could smell her distress and confusion, even in my weakened state. I didn't give much thought as to what or who could be upsetting her, as I didn't care; I had no reason to.

I heard her start to rise from her kneeling position and because of my sensitive hearing; I was able to make out what were to be her last words to me for what we both hoped would be quite a while.

"Take care…"

That was stupid. Since when did she care what happened to me? I almost let my curiosity get the better of me and ask why.

Furthermore, I didn't need her to worry about me! It was preposterous. I didn't care for anyone, and I didn't want them to care for me. I just wanted people to stay out of my way and not interfere with what I chose to do.

I heard her scurry back into the building. It seems I wasn't the only one shocked (and most likely disgusted) with her comment.

It was finally quiet.

I relaxed my closed eyes. I had planned to be out of here by sunrise, and if that was going to happen, I needed to get all the rest that I could get now.

Keeping my senses as alert as they could be in a semi-conscious state, I briefly forgot about the whimsical human female and finally slept.

~Naomi~

I had gone to bed not long after I had left my demon on the roof. I didn't want to be plagued with thoughts similar to the ones that made me leave the roof in the first place.

When I woke up, I immediately noticed the absence of the demon's aura. Even after only one night with him, because of the vastness of his aura, it was easy to feel when he left the range of my senses.

The demon had left, as I had hoped.

I hadn't really expected a good-bye or a thank you, so I didn't dwell on the fact he hadn't given the inclination of giving either.

Shaking my head, I rid myself of thoughts of the stuck-up youkai.

I smiled.

It was summer; time to party!

The days flew.

I held the self-defense classes I had promised my school-mates. I couldn't believe the talent for kicking ass some of them had. Kagome was an intern of sorts, and Sango helped with the actual teaching.

The Panther Siblings helped out a bit as well, and within the week of classes, the majority of the girls could have given _me_ a run for my money.

But what can I say; they're very fast learners.

And so, the summer went by, all of us preparing for the first day of a new co-ed school. I don't think any of us were scared, per say, but we were anxious, not to mention paranoid.

Nevertheless, we would be ready for whatever happened to come our way.

**Sorry again if the ending was a little too cheesy for some of you. If so, you can always feel free to let me know! In your reviews! They make me very happy and the ones that are signed guaranteed to get a response! **

**Ja ne, dudes!**

**~White Jem~**


	6. DJ Got Us Falling in Love Again

Whatup!

As you've probably already figured out, the titles for each of the chapters are also titles to songs that I think fit the situation fairly well. This chapter will be using lyrics inside the chapter, so it'll be a bit longer than what you might be used to in this story.

_**WARNING! : This chapter has undergone maintenance, but you will STILL find there to be A LOT of…CHEESE in this chapter. I AM sorry, but that's just the way it turned out. The chapter had to be done, and I did my best. If anyone has any ideas to make it better I'm seriously all ears! Let me know what I could do to make it better! **_

I'll be using: (in this order) Dynamite (Taio Cruz) (Warm-up), More (Usher) (Guys), Evacuate the Dance Floor (Cascada) (Girls)

**Guys lyrics: bold**

_Girls lyrics: italics_

Here you go!

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Usher) In the midst of the chaos invoked by the first day of school, Naomi and Sesshoumaru meet again. Only this time, the music will ultimately be the catalyst to drive them together. **_

_**DJ's Got Us Falling In Love Again**_

~Naomi~

I reluctantly opened my eyes.

The sunlight filtered through my window, the glow reminding me of those amber pools I thought I had long forgotten.

Today was the day.

Monday; the first day of my last year at the Academy.

I smelled breakfast cooking downstairs and realized how hungry I was. I flew out of bed and down the stairs, ready to eat in a quick-but-lady-like-manner. I did so, and thanked Mother for the meal.

After breakfast, I headed upstairs, passing Kazuki on the way up. I wished him a good morning, but as usual, he didn't respond. (Ni-chan isn't one of those morning people…) I got dressed, grabbed my bag and ran to school, making sure to shout that I was leaving before I ran out the door.

I walked today, meditating and calming my mind as I walked. I wanted to stretch out my temper as much as possible while I still could; I was going to need it.

Suddenly, I heard a voice gleefully calling my name. Jarred from my thoughts, I turned and saw Kagome running towards me, waving as she did. I waved back. Looking behind her, I saw Sango trailing behind at more of a calmer pace.

"Naomi!" Kagome half-chirped, half-shouted. She was barreling towards me at top speed.

I laughed and prepared to re-direct the ecstatic girl's staggering momentum.

She ran at me and jumped. I caught the overly-excited female around the waist, twirling her once before setting her down and hugging her fiercely.

I eagerly included the taija as soon as she was near enough. I hadn't been able to meet up with either of them since the mid-summer self-defense classes. Needless to say, I was very happy to see them.

The three of us continued on to school, catching up in the meantime. Turns out, Kags had gone out of town with her family, and Sango had spent some quality time with her younger brother, Kohaku.

After the self-defense classes, the only thing I did other than just hanging out, was answering my exorcism requests. I had gotten quite a few of them over the summer; it would seem that some of the potential clients had been sympathetic with my school life, and did not want to bother me with trivial jobs. According to them, their problems weren't important enough for me to be bothered in the middle of school. I never said anything but inside I knew that I would be the final judge of that. Although, since they were the clients, their opinions came before my own. If they thought that their demon problems were insignificant, who was I to argue?

My exorcisms are a part-time job of sorts for me. It keeps me busy and out of trouble, which, mind you, there would be plenty of if I didn't have that extra-curricular activity.

I also had yet to see anyone that can match my spiritual power when I got serious. The only person who had an aura that felt even remotely close to mine was the demon I had tended to on the last weekend of school. (Who I hadn't seen since then.) But then again, he was a demon, so he really shouldn't count.

Sango, Kagome, and I walked all the way to school, noticing as we went the significant rise in the male population on the street that led to the Academy.

I saw the Panther Sisters, and gave a nod of acknowledgement. They had actually told me previously that they had a brother that had gone to the merging academy. Because he was related to someone I knew and respected, I didn't really have too much of a problem with him, though I'd never met him.

Toran, Shunran, Karan, and Ayame joined us in our trek to the school, and soon our beloved Academy was in sight.

And what a sight it was.

Standing in a lot of a spacious six acres, the Academy stood proudly in a place all its own. We had a garden, a set of four tennis courts, a huge gymnasium, and then the main building, which didn't take nearly as much room as you'd expect.

The Academy was teeming with newcomers, with some new girl first-years, and many new guys. I had to make an effort to school my expression while walking in the gates.

People seemed to have a sense of who called the shots in a set area. They sensed my leader's aura, and stepped out of the way. Some weren't actually looking my way, but followed along with the change of direction in which their friends were walking.

Some bowed their heads in respect for the entering seniors. Most of the bowing groups were girls from the previous years. It was sort of a tradition in the Academy to show the proper respect for those who have earned their place amidst the upperclassmen. A few of the new boys also did so; they seemed to be a well-mannered, for all the good it did to have only a few polite boys, instead of the entire population.

I scanned around for familiar faces. I caught a glimpse of Kikyou and Akira talking (or more likely just standing together) by the steps that led into the main hall. They saw me, and nodded as greeting, saying nothing, as per usual.

Suddenly, the bell rang and we all scurried off to class, with the first years attempting to make their way into the building first; they were new to the school, after all.

Being the upperclassmen we were, Kagome, Kikyou, Akira, Sango, The Panther Sisters, and finally myself, made our way up the steps of our Academy coolly and calmly; as if we'd done it a thousand times.

I had pulled a few strings and got us all put into the same class. I didn't bother with the boys; even with that Panther Brother (whom I still hadn't met). His sisters said I shouldn't bother with that, so I didn't.

Our first hour was English. You know the story; reading, tests, more reading, blah, blah, blah…

Anyways, as the girls and I walked into the classroom, it was…..well, for lack of a better description, normal. From my perspective, though, 'normal' might have been a bit of a stretch. But there wasn't any changing the way things were now. I would just have to deal.

The Academy my uncle had saved seemed to have been large enough to even rival our own. I think that the girls still outnumbered the guys, but not by much.

Our teacher, whom I had seen around campus last year, called the classroom to order, and we all quieted, even the opposing Academy's new arrivals.

The period passed fairly quickly, as the first hour of the first day of school usually does. Everyone seemed very worked up over the 'Daimyo Five'. I know, right? Who the hell were they?

From what I could tell, these were the five most powerful beings that had attended the merging Yasushi Academy.

Apparently, these so-called 'Daimyo' consisted of a Sesshoumaru, who was the supposed leader, an Inuyasha, who was the leader's younger half-brother, Miroku, who was the best friend and occasional peacemaker/pervert of the group. There was Koga, a full-blooded wolf demon who led his own clan, and Naraku, whom I hadn't really heard much about, but if his name was any indication, he was bound to cause all sorts of trouble.

Apparently, they were all in the same year as us. And all assigned to the same class. If that was true, then where were they?

Lo and behold, just seconds after the thought crossed my mind, four boys casually strolled into the room.

"Look at them!" Someone said.

"Anybody know who they are?"

A nameless, bespectacled fellow senior classmate spoke up,

"Those are four of the five top leaders of Yasushi Academy, The Daimyo! That's Inuyasha and Miroku," He pointed to the two on the far left. "And the two on the right are Koga and Naraku."

He paused, puzzled, as he scratched the back of his head. "Although I'm not really sure where Sesshoumaru is." He smiled cheekily. "Not that we ever have much of one, though; he just disappears sometimes."

I rolled my eyes and looking away and out the window. After a few gasps and swoons from my fellow (girl and guy) classmates, I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the beautiful day outside and took in the appearance of the arrivals.

The guy from the far left was the supposed Inuyasha. He definitely had an arrogant and self-assured air to him, as if he'd never been defeated in his life. (Something I would quickly change, if he ever challenged me.) He had stunning and unusual golden eyes and rough, tangled silver hair that reached the lower half of his back. His hair was loose, free to hang down in a dull grey curtain.

But what might have been the weirdest thing about him would be the dog ears that were perched on the top of his head. They kept swiveling around on his head, and that forewarned me to his vigilant nature. I could tell that most of the girls in the room wanted nothing more than to pull on those fluffy ears, if only to get the irritating impulse out of their system.

Second from the left stood the grinning Miroku. He looked like an idiot, but absolutely delighted to be here. His short black hair was tied back in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He had a few ear piercings, which I didn't have much of a taste for, reason being I was of the belief that earrings were a little too effeminate for guys to wear, but then, what would _my _opinion be worth to someone I didn't know?

Third would probably be Koga. He had a long, black, high ponytail and seemed to favor brown clothing. His cocky attitude seemed to rival that of Inuyasha, though he didn't have nearly enough power reflected in his aura to warrant that sort of attitude. Judging by what I saw, it seemed that he overestimated his own power. And with the similar personalities, I would bet that the Inuyasha and Koga probably were often at odds with each other.

And last but not least, was Naraku. This guy was…..well, for lack of a better description, creepy. No lie. I mean, if you saw a dude with wild, greasy black hair and blood red eyes, would you be crept out? I'd seen my fair share of frightening demons, and even I found it difficult to muster the courage to make eye-contact with the crimson-eyed troublemaker.

The four of them were half-heartedly scolded by the teacher and I noted with disdain that none of them even looked guilty for arriving late on the first day of school, although Miroku did a nice job buttering up the teacher to help them be forgiven for their tardiness. Too nice I job, I figured, not to have some kind of previous experience under his belt.

The foursome didn't even bother sitting down, as the bell rang just then, ending the first class of the year.

As I walked out into the hall after waiting for the group to get their stuff together, I could see that people were already bored of the classes they had so looked forward to. After the first couple weeks of summer, you get sick of all the free time.

Our second hour was my absolute favorite subject of all the classes I'd taken in my life; dance class. Minus Phys Ed, every other class just wants to see how much you can memorize and learn in a fixed amount of time. I know the learning thing is the objective, but still…memorization, in my opinion, can hardly be called _real_ learning, especially where Literature and Calculus is concerned. A photographic memory can only take you so far, although it helps.

With physical classes, though, especially dance, I could be anything I wanted to be: poetic, irrepressible, or untouchable (my personal favorite). I could be as passionate as I wanted, and put my all my energy into it, and nobody could ever tell me I was wrong. Because there is no right and wrong in artistic creation, such as dance.

That was what I loved most about it.

We walked into the studio that was on the far side of the Fine Arts building. Ms. Noriega was late, as usual. Since we were the first group here, we got dibs on the warm-up song. Sango, having already warmed up at home due to her family's regularly athletic priorities, took care of the music.

The final bell was about to ring, and the male half of our class had yet to show.

I scoffed; I didn't really care, but I always loved a challenge.

All the guys seemed a bit unsure of themselves in a new school, because they all arrived at the same time, in one big group, with Daimyo heading the pack, Inuyasha in the lead.

Because it was a regular thing for Ms. Noriega to be late, a temporary sub came to fill in for her until she got here. Since the rest of the girls and I had taken this class before, she was mostly just a pretense. We told her she needn't lift a finger for anything; we would take care of ourselves.

The first song wasted no time in introducing itself as one of the most carefree songs of the modern age.

_**I came to dance, dance, dance, dance  
I hit the floor  
'Cause that's my, plans, plans, plans, plans  
I'm wearing all my favorite  
Brands, brands, brands, brands  
Give me space for both my hands, hands, hands, hands**_

Kags, me, and a few other girls got together and did a couple of warm-up movements. Just some simple stuff that wouldn't hurt us, but would ready us for the more rigorous dancing ahead. There were head and neck stretches, hip and shoulder rolls, and some sharpness drills as well.

_**You, you**_

We were having a great time. What made it even better was the guys gawking and staring at us as if they'd never seen girls dance their hearts out before.

But now that I thought about it, I realized they probably hadn't.__

_**Cause it goes on and on and on**_

I laughed at that.

_**And it goes on and on and on**_

A few of the guys stepped up and had decided to try dancing with us.

I had to say, the dudes were damn fast learners. They had watched and learned, and hadn't jeered at the sight of the most attractive females in the school dancing in front of them. (Well, most of them anyways; Koga looked like he wanted to wolf-whistle at Kagome from the way he was staring at her.) The dancers weren't the leaders, but I suddenly held a little bit more respect for them, now that I knew that they could all think for themselves and didn't need someone leading them my the hand everywhere.

_**I throw my hands up in the air sometimes  
Saying AYO  
Gotta let go  
I wanna celebrate and live my life  
Saying AYO  
Baby, let's go**___

Throughout the next chorus, I took the time to quickly glance around at my partners. Kags, the other girls, and Sango (still DJ-ing) all grinned at me. They weren't showing any signs of tiring. On the contrary, they looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Suddenly, the studio door banged open.

I looked on in amazement at a face I thought I never see again.

_**'Cause we gon' rock this club**_

The knee-length silver hair, the molten, soul-piercing golden eyes and magenta stripes on a ridiculously handsome face._****_

_**We gon' go all night  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite**__****_

The injured demon that I met on the last day of school._****_

_**Cause I told you once  
Now I told you twice  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite**_

What the hell was _he_ doing here!

I was so surprised I stopped dancing for a split second. I recovered quickly, though, because from my peripheral vision I could see that the group had moved on in the dance since my spacing out.

I picked up where I had left off, still analyzing the demon's countenance.

He looked well….healthy, at least….Again, not like I cared.

_**I came to move, move, move, move  
Get out the way me and my crew, crew, crew, crew  
I'm in the club so I'm gonna do, do, do, do  
Just drop the phone, came here to do, do, do, do**_

All the guys in the room, even the ones without spiritual power instantly seemed to be aware of the demon's presence at the same moment.

I didn't understand what was going on. I mean, was he important, or something? Judging by the instant tension I felt in the auras of the males, I began to desire to know just who he was.

Predictably, it was Inuyasha who spoke up first.

"Sesshoumaru!" He shouted. "You're late, dumbass!"

"Still as brazen as ever I see, little brother." The now-named Sesshoumaru calmly replied. An idiot could see he was just goading Inuyasha's temper.

It worked, too. Inuyasha instantly growled at the newcomer.

While they had their little bicker session (which I assumed was a regular thing for them), I tried to organize my thoughts.

Okay…so the guy I had met….months ago, shows back up in my life and turns out to be a Daimyo? And the _leader_ no less? This was just too much!

I think my friends would sympathize with me if I told them I had judged a near-fatally injured demon weak. I mean, who wouldn't, right?

~Sesshoumaru~

I strolled into the studio of the Academy I was not so keen on attending in the first place.

This whole thing had been Father's idea. He had given the actual merging idea to the Headmaster at the collapsing Academy.

We had been lucky that this Headmaster had been kind enough to agree to it. Of course, after doing my research on Headmaster Ari's background, it would be an understatement to say I was surprised when I heard he had actually accepted. Not that it made any difference now. The whole idea of me having to actually go to school was ludicrous in itself. But I would've been pressured to go by Father either way, so I really didn't have a choice in the matter.

I hated not having a choice.

When I heard this had been a uni-sex Academy, I knew there would be trouble, or extreme tension, at the very least. Not that I cared about the discomfort of others.

When Father had told me that there were to be females attending the same school as me, I scoffed. Big deal. I could get by alone, as I always have. The fact that girls were attending the school didn't make one ounce of difference to me. I couldn't care less.

So I walk in late to school (as a result of business I had to take care of at Father's corporation), not really caring about the consequences. I mean, what were they going to do? Suspend me (which would've only given me more time to work on the improvement of the corporation)? Kill me?

I _almost_ laughed at that one. I would've _loved_ to see them try it.

Here I was, thinking this was going to be another ridiculous year, yet another waste of my valuable time.

Then I actually looked around the studio.

I had recognized her scent from when she had failed epically in trying to nurse me. She was dancing to a song I had heard before, but since my father owned a long line of businesses that ranged from farming to the music industry, I made it my _business_ to know who sang which songs. I did not investigate different artists and genres because I actually _liked _their music; it was my job.

But I also made it a point to make note of who did and did _not_ have potential, and this girl had some talent, I'd give her that.

The mere way she moved was enticing in itself, not that I would ever admit it out loud. She didn't hold back, but then again, I doubt she held back in anything she did. Unlike me, who always had power and energy to spare.

Suddenly I had the strangest urge to dance with her or oppose her, whichever came first (and I was going with the latter).

Think of it; me, an all-powerful daiyoukai, desiring, even half-heartedly, to move in synch with her? A mere _human_?

I was losing it; must be an aftereffect of working so hard at the company.

But then again, I thought, she practically **begs** people to dance with her. Maybe I'll give her what's exactly what she wants, just this once.

And I had to admit, she was good. But then I thought…

Hmph.

So she could dance.

That was just one more thing she could do that I could do better.

~Naomi~

By this point, unfortunately, the rest of the guys seemed to be fed up with just sitting on the sidelines, watching.

Seems all they needed as motivation was their true leader's presence, added with the fact he was now walking calmly but assuredly to the center of the side of the room opposite us…..

Wait!

He was doing _what_!

_**Yeah, yea**_

Cause it goes on and on and on  
And it goes on and on and on

The male half of the room was gathering around Sesshoumaru, ready and eager to follow him wherever he led them. Even Inuyasha looked a little more than excited to join in the fun, although he tried to look cool as he followed along.

Soon after condensing, the guys broke into movement.

_**I throw my hands up in the air sometimes  
Saying AYO  
Gotta let go**_

I absolutely loathed to admit it, but they moved well. Very well. Too well for this dance class to have been their first. They'd done this before, and they were good at what they did.

_**I wanna celebrate and live my life  
Saying AYO  
Baby, let's go**_

I, again, had to give him that, even if he weren't in the center, and didn't have platinum-white hair; I think my eyes still would've been drawn naturally to Sesshoumaru. His movements were so graceful, but still so sharp and masculine; I really wouldn't be surprised if he danced for a living. I could've watched him all day….

Hold up!

_**'Cause we gon' rock this club  
We gon' go all night  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite**_

What in hell was I thinking? Thinking such things, I must really be losing my mind!

_**Cause I told you once  
Now I told you twice  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite**_

By now, the girls had decided to 'move to their own beats', I suppose you could say, watching and sizing up our 'opponents', who didn't look as if they were having such a bad time themselves. Well, all but their leader, who still had his same stoic expression on his face. I couldn't tell if he was enjoying himself. (You probably could never really tell with that one.)

For the next chorus, some of the guys decided they would invite us to join them by moving to the center of the dance room, beckoning us to do the same.

_**I'm gonna take it all like,  
I'm gonna be the last one standing,  
I'm alone and all I  
I'm gonna be the last one landing**_

And join them we did. It looked as though it wouldn't hurt, and everybody looked excited. I gave a nod, and we all swarmed to the center of the room, eager to respond.

_**'Cause I, I, I Believe it  
And I, I, I  
I just want it all, I just want it all**_

_All_ of us quickly assembled in the middle of the classroom, and both Inuyasha and I did the traditional count-up from 5 to 8, since their leader seemed to think he doing such a thing was beneath him.

_**I'm gonna put my hands in the air  
Hands in the air  
Put your hands in the air**_

We all danced together.

_**I throw my hands up in the air sometimes  
Saying AYO!  
Gotta let go!  
I wanna celebrate and live my life  
Saying AYO!  
Baby, let's go!**_

I had to admit, it was a good feeling; it rivaled the feeling I only get when it's just me dancing with my girlfriends, anytime, anyplace.

_**'Cause we gon' rock this club  
We gon' go all night  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite!  
'Cause I told you once  
Now I told you twice  
We gon' light it up  
Like it's dynamite!**_

Both sides of the room broke out in their individual poses at the end of the song.

Everyone burst into laughter. (Sesshoumaru did not.) I joined in. We didn't know why we were laughing; it just felt right.

When they stopped laughing, the guys assembled on their side again. Miroku pranced over to where Sango was DJ-ing, and plugged in his own iPod. I guessed the guys were going to _grace_ us with one of their dances from the previous year, at their now non-existent Academy. Now we would see more of what these guys could _really_ do.

**Watch me as I dance in up the spotlight-  
Listen to all the people screaming I'm all... more,  
'Cos I create the feeling that keep 'em coming back,  
Yeah, I create the feeling that keep 'em coming back,  
So captivating when I get it on the floor.**

Their dance was mostly hip hop, but they added their own personal style to it; I had to admit, that made it more interesting. (1)

**Know y'all bin patiently waiting, I know you need me, I can feel it,  
I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror,  
The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner.  
Best when under pressure with seconds left I show up.**

They seemed to get into the music as much as we did….I scoffed. So we had something in common….That was a first.

**If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
Get it on the floor, bring out the fire,  
And light it up, take it up higher,  
Gotta push it to the limit, give it more.**

By this time, Sango had managed to shove Miroku out of the way to plug her own iPod back in. She gave us a thumbs up, letting us know that we should get into position for the next song.

_Turn up the music  
Let's get out on the floor  
I'll let it move it  
Come and give me some more  
Watch me getting physical and out of control  
There's people watching me  
I never miss a beat  
_

The movements mostly consisted of a mix of sharp vs. exaggerated but controlled slow gestures. As I kept up with and led the group at my back, I was hit by flashing pictures of memories of the previous year, when we had been originally introduced to the song and its corresponding dance.  
_  
Steal the night  
Kill the lights  
Feel it under your skin  
Time is right  
Keep it tight  
Cos it's pulling you in _

The most prominent memory regarding this song was, as we were learning the dance under Ms. Noriega's guidance, we were faced with our own personal weaknesses that we normally wouldn't have come into contact with until much later, if we had decided to pursue the art of dance further.__

Wrap it up  
Can't stop cos it feels like a overdose  
(Feels like an overdose) 

Half the class was specially talented in the slow movements, and picked them up easily, such as Kikyo, Akira, Shunran, and Kagome. The other half, such as Sango, Touran, Karan, and myself, mastered the fast and sharp movements rapidly.__

Oh, oh, evacuate the dancefloor  
Oh, oh, I'm infected by the sound  
Oh, oh, stop, this beat is killing me  
Hey Mister DJ let the music take me underground

It quickly became a test of how well we could teach each other and help each other out. We also had to work out the kinks fairly swiftly, as we were obligated to compete in a competition that our teacher neglected to tell us about until the last minute. __

(Everybody in the club!)  
Oh, oh, evacuate the dancefloor  
Oh, oh, I'm infected by the sound  
(Everybody in the club!)  
Oh, oh, stop, this beat is killing me  
Hey Mister DJ come burn this place right down to the ground!

Suddenly, I heard Sango scream.

_**SMACK!**_

"Lecher!" Sango yelled at the said offender who was now sitting with his head against –no, strike that—_in_ the wall. (He was still dazed, so he hadn't tried to get his head out of the wall yet.)

By this time, the music had stopped, everyone wanted to know what the deal was.

Sango's face was red, and she instinctively had her back up against the wall by the stereo….

I put two and two together.

"You _pervert_!" I yelled, diving for Miroku's still frame that had just been pulled out of the plaster by Inuyasha, who didn't look surprised in the least by his friend's disregard of personal boundaries.

Before you could say "chaos", Pandora's Box exploded. Suddenly everyone was yelling at each other, and Sesshoumaru had stepped in front of me, blocking the depraved youth from my sight.

Sesshoumaru's emotionless mask was still in place, and his posture didn't look at all different than how it had been than when he had been standing 5 feet away from me a few milliseconds ago. Not that I had noticed, but as I was told by Kagome later on, he vanished, and reappeared in front of me, body still screaming 'apathetic' with its' posture.

Some of the girls, Kags included, were standing over with Sango, still trying to get a handle on what exactly had happened.

But I knew, and I was going to beat the crap out of the person responsible. _No one _treats _my girl_ like _**that**_**. **

"Outta my way, mutt!" I snarled.

Sesshoumaru seemed to huff to himself.

"That foul temper will be the end of you." He said placidly.

"Like you _care_!" I shot back. "Move it!"

But he wouldn't budge. He just stood there, like a dumb wall.

Over all the noise, I heard Inuyasha and Kagome arguing, the former about how Miroku is always like this, and the latter that it still wasn't right.

Sesshoumaru suddenly piped up.

"You really shouldn't be surprised, considering his reputation." He said.

"How the hell am _I_ supposed to know about his sickening reputation if I've never gone to school with the creep in my life?" This guy was _really_ starting to piss me off, making such stupid comments.

"_I _would've thought it was obvious." He taunted.

"Well, it _wasn't_." I said. "I only thought he looked like an idiot, and I didn't have to look long to figure _that one_ out."

"Shows how observant _you _are." Sesshoumaru said sarcastically. "But I should have expected your level of intellect to match fittingly with your lowly station in life."

"Why you… I oughtta!" I lunged at him, fist raised and already flying forward, ready to _make _him move if I had to….

I was about a foot away from his face when I heard the gunshot.

~Sesshoumaru~

The little woman tried to throw a punch at me! Ha! ….At least, I would've laughed, if I ever allowed myself a moment of humor.

But before I got a chance I catch her wrist and tell her what an imbecile she was being, my sharp hearing picked up, ten-fold, a sound that would've been loud, even to a human's inferior ears.

A RL-83 Blindicide shot, if I remembered correctly. (2)

And a voice that made even the fearless vixen in front of me wince at the sound of it.

…**.And there you have it! Cliffie! Am I EVIL or what!**

**And a HUGE THANK YOU to all the faithful readers and reviewers (XD haha you know who you are)!**

**Also, here's the A/Ns!**

**(1): Imagine whatever cool guy dance moves you want here! ^^**

**(2): It's a bazooka, but that sounds anti-climactic, so I didn't use it.**

_**R&R! You will absolutely make my day! ^^**_

**Ja ne!**

**~White Jem~**


	7. Dance With Me

**Yo! **

_**R&R!**_

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Drew Seeley) ...I think this one is pretty self-explanatory...**_

_**Dance With Me**_

~Naomi~

**CRASH!**

"_Hey!_" The voice snapped, blowing all other sounds in the room out of the water. "What in _hell_ is going on around here?"

I flinched at the sound of the voice. We in _trouble_ now…

I could practically _see_ the wheels in my classmates' heads turning, round and round. I could also see their heartfelt curses at this person's timing. "Shit…." I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that, Tomo!" The voice roared, then suddenly warmed to a sickeningly sweet honey tone. "Wanna turn around and tell me what the problem is here?"

I gulped, not sure what to say.

_Click _

The bazooka had been loaded.

"Well?" The voice asked. "I'm _waiting_!"

I cringed. _Now _we were in for it.

Dropping the arm that had been ready to punch Sesshoumaru's lights out, I turned around to face the voice, though I already knew who it was.

"Funny story, Ms. Ayano." I laughed nervously. "See, the thing is - " I was interrupted by the bazooka's shot, which landed an inch before my feet.

"Shaddup!" Our dance teacher shouted. "And don't use my first name, you disrespectful whelp!"

I sweat-dropped. She was the same as ever. And in a particularly foul mood, too.

_I don't really have to wonder why… _I thought sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Alright, everyone line up _now_! Playtime is _over_!" Ms. Ayano shouted, pointing a carefully manicured but menacing finger at her students.

She went on, "From here on in, everybody does _exactly_ what I say, exactly when I say it and nobody gets hurt! Is that _absolutely_ _clear_?"

All the girls had saluted before she had even finished her sentence.

"Hai, Noriega-sensei!" We echoed. We couldn't exactly refuse, the way that bazooka was aimed threateningly at us.

Ms. Ayano seemed to calm somewhat. She closed her eyes, and then grinned widely with her eyes closed, for the moment.

The weapon lowered.

"Good," she chirped. "I'm glad we all understand each other." She said in a now-carefree voice.

Ms. Ayano stepped to the other side of the room. Once there, she turned and examined us, as if she was searching for something.

Seconds later, she found it.

"What did I just say?" She asked. "_Get in line_!"

All the girls rushed to do as she said, including even myself. Ms. Ayano still hadn't placed her weapon down. Even if she had, though, we still would've obeyed. It didn't take Ms. Ayano more than a few seconds to pick up and load that heavy machine, if you know what I mean.

Once we were all in line, she studied us. Then she pointed at me.

"Tomo, Taishou, stay put! Everybody else, clear out!" She ordered, intent on getting her way.

Everyone scrambled to do as she said.

I didn't move. There wasn't any need to. Since the dog and I had been (literally) head-to-head, we saved time by just staying put when Ms. Ayano told everyone to line up. We had ended up side-by-side, which I was upset with in the first place. But why make a big commotion over nothing?

Now I was starting to regret that decision.

Ms. Ayano turned and strolled over to the stereo and scrolled down to the song she wanted.

The intro started. It was an instrumental; the words didn't start with the music right away.

I stared at our dance teacher suspiciously; what was she up to?

"Well?" She said again, motioning for us to step even closer together. "Dance. Together. _Now._"

I looked at Sesshoumaru; surely _he_ of all people would object to this. But he simply stood there with the same aloof expression that he always wore. He would be no help.

"You _cannot_ be serious," I said indignantly, fully intent on arguing and talking my way out of this.

I heard another _click_.

"No?" Ms. Ayano said with a sickeningly sweet smile. "_Try me._" She growled.

I inwardly groaned; she was serious. And at this point, I had two choices: dance or die.

But I _really _didn't have any desire to dance with this guy. And _definitely _not to the song our teacher had picked.

The words were about to start. I knew; but I couldn't find the nerve to get close enough to the youkai.

Luckily, I didn't have to, although the reason _why_ I didn't was not the most pleasant concept on the planet.

~Sesshoumaru~

I glared icily at the mortal woman that had _dared_ to give me an order. Father said taking an order was something that was good for everyone every once in a while, but I wasn't _everyone_. I wasn't to be ordered about like some little whelp.

I sneered in a way that would make most humans and youkai tremble at my feet.

This woman, like the little onna next to me, however, did not cower. Instead, she looked me straight in the eyes with a menacing look that rivaled my Fathers', when he was truly angry. Only Izayoi (I had to reluctantly admit) could effectively calm him down at that point.

Something told me she knew my Father, with the similarities on the smug little smirk she was giving me. She knew I'd obey however reluctant I was, or else. She _did _know Father.

_And if she knows Father,_ I thought with an inward sigh. _That can only mean trouble for me, if he finds out I caused any trouble in this woman's class. _

I had to grudgingly admit that there was only one being alive that could strike anything resembling... anxiety into my (barely existent) heart, and in doing so, ultimately get me to do what they wanted.

Somehow, that number had doubled in the last minute, whatever the reason.

I inwardly cursed. _I swear, this school has got to be cursed_.

Not that I believed in sorcery. That was nonsense from books and fairy tales. I am a daiyoukai, and as such have no need for such trifles.

My stoic mask hadn't altered since the woman made her appearance; nor was it going to.

The onna next to me asked if the woman was serious.

What a stupid question. Of _course_ she was serious. Not even I could stand there, calmly loading a potentially dangerous weapon with the intention of threatening my students, and still have the happiest smile on my face.

"_Try me._" The woman said, talking to both of us at the same time. I think she purposely turned this kind of song _specifically_ to irritate me.

Then she raised an eyebrow in my direction.

_Hn._

Fine, I'd play along.

For now.

~Naomi~

Sesshoumaru suddenly appeared _right _in front of me, out of nowhere. I instinctively jumped; I was really starting to _hate _it when he did that.

I looked up into eyes. He was wearing the nastiest glare and scowl I'd ever seen on his face, making it _clear_ that he wanted this just about as much as I did.

I _seriously_ doubted he feared a human like Ms. Ayano, but I bet he realized that this could get messy. Ms. Ayano is very trigger-happy. (Could you tell?) Plus, she knew people. She could easily pull some strings and get the pair of us into some serious sh… Well, you get the picture.

"What's the matter? Don't you know how to move to this kind of music?" Sesshoumaru sneered, making me feel like an idiot.

Fact was, I knew how to dance in the manner the song demanded, but only the basics. I had learned with my father and brother, and that had been years ago. I remembered a little, but the rest I'd have to depend on this guy to lead and help me figure it out as we went…

But I didn't trust him at all. And besides that, there's no way he'd help me, even if I asked.

He held out his hand.

The lyrics were starting.

I grabbed a hold of his hand.

Everything after that became a blur.

He pulled me roughly to him and began to lead, not really seeming to care whether I caught up or not. Vaguely, I remembered the steps I'd been taught, and then everything fell into place.

_**Follow me into my world**_  
_**Let your worries fade with every step you take  
Baby whatcha' waiting for  
Let the tango take control  
Feel the music inside your soul (Oh)  
My hand is out, just grab a hold**_

I gracefully stepped back and forth, inwardly cursing as my body forgot what it was supposed to be doing, then, in the following moment of panic, instantaneously remembered what to do.

_**Watch time fade away  
My arms will keep you safe  
It's just you and me  
Dancing in this dream **_

The youkai spun me fiercely, and then yanked me back flush against his body, both hands caught in his. I was trapped staring nowhere but his molten golden eyes.

_**Whatever you do, don't wake me up**_  
_**The feeling's real won't let it**_ _**stop, no**_

After another turn, I landed away from him, but still within an arm's reach. Our hands met, and we were once again obligated to focus and let our legs do the rest.

Throughout the next half a minute, I really started to get into the music. It didn't matter that I was dancing along with someone I had come to loathe with a passion. All that mattered was that I was here, dancing with a capable partner. I came to trust him; at least enough not to let me fall.

I also started to notice the demon easing up on me somewhat. He was being a little gentler, whether it was from instinct or conscious thought, I didn't know and, frankly, I didn't care. As long as he didn't drop me, I would be content, and I was confident that he wouldn't drop me as long as it pleased him.

_**Don't be afraid, take my hand  
Forget the world  
Will you dance, dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente**_

We danced flawlessly throughout the next set of lyrics and chorus. I stepped back, he stepped forward. I stepped forward, he (albeit reluctantly) stepped back. I swiveled between our intertwined arms on my feet. Step pivot turn to the left diagonal, and then same to the right, all in quick succession.

_**Trust in me, take a chance  
Feel the Tango  
When you dance, dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente**_

There were a few wordless seconds in which Sesshoumaru looked me in the eyes so intensely, but still so gently, I started to think he almost cared about …Well, never mind what I was thinking. It was stupid.

Suddenly his hands glided lower to my waist, making as if to prepare to grab and pick me up. I doubted that he needed such obvious preparation, with the brute strength he must have, demon that he is. This movement could only have _one_ purpose: to serve as a warning for me to prepare myself_. _I knew then that he wanted to attempt to lift me off the ground, a stunt that I had never performed, even with my most trusted dance teachers.

Here was the weird part; I let him.

_**Dance with me **_

I allowed him to lift me, first grabbing me around the waist with his hands and lifted up, with me having my hands on his shoulders to keep my balance. I felt eyes on us, but only faintly; I was too mesmerized by my rival's eyes to notice. My right foot pointed and touched the outside of my left knee while in the air.

_**(I'm dancing with you) **_

He spun me once, and then set me back on the ground, both my knees bending as he did so.

_**For this moment in time **_

He placed me down on an angle, forcing me to wind my left arm around his neck for balance, with my right hand on his chest, over his heart. There was no avoiding the eye contact and consequential spark that went with it.

_**(My dreams have come true)  
My darling just dance with me**_

After that, with his right hand that was on my hip, he forced my right leg to straighten outwards, which meant I had to bend my left leg lower and grip his shoulder to keep from falling.

It wasn't necessary; he held me effortlessly, as if I weighed no more than a feather to him. I relaxed my head back, trying to accommodate our now 'dipped' position somewhat. I gazed into his molten amber pools, music temporarily forgotten, and tried to ignore the sweltering heat I now felt, burning high in my cheeks.

Even at this close proximity, I _still _couldn't read him. Inuyasha would later enlighten me on the fact that the guy was difficult to figure out, even among his own family.

_**If for only one night**_

From the faint light I saw appear in his eyes, I sensed what he wanted to do next.

Giving him a subtle nod, I let him know I was ready.

_**Short Instrumental**_

Suddenly, without warning, he whipped me out of the dip and directly into a fierce twirl, with the effort to spin me numerous times. Without his assistance, I could do a double- sometimes triple- pirouette, but ballet was generally not my forte. Sesshoumaru had given me such force in _exactly_ the right direction; my body had no choice but to flow with wherever the unexpected momentum carried it.

I inwardly sighed once again to relax myself and let everything go.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt myself spin, allowing my arms to flow up over my head, ending in a high 5th position. I kept my body excessively tense, in hopes that maybe one of the girls would catch me if I fell.

Again, the notion proved to be unnecessary. Because as soon as the brief instrumental began to end, I felt a hard, strong chest press into my upper back, and clawed hands and arms wrapped around my own in order to guide me.

Sesshoumaru had once again used his ethereal speed to catch me.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this yet, but I went with it, nonetheless.  
_**  
Don't be afraid, take my hand  
Forget the world  
Will you dance, dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente **_

As we had both been presumably taught in our lessons, we both stepped forward with the right leg. Then left.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. We now had an understanding, although I didn't know how long _that _could last.

_**Trust in me, take a chance  
Feel the Tango  
When you dance, dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente**_

We finished in – now that I look back on it – a very…questionable pose. My left arm had somehow found its way around Sesshoumaru's neck once more, with my right hand on his chest. My right leg was wrapped (_very_) lightly around the right side of his body. His right hand was at my waist, and the other on the back of my ribcage, near my right shoulder blade.

Silence ensued.

We – at least I – didn't notice; we were too busy, trying desperately to figure the other out.

His face revealed nothing…I inwardly scoffed...So what else was new?

Someone suddenly whistled. Not a catcall, but a whistle of amazement.

It still pissed me off to no end, nonetheless.

I had been staring searchingly into Sesshoumaru's intense gaze when I was started out of my zone by that whistle.

My head snapped over to where the rest of the class was looking on in pure astonishment; the girls because they had never seen me dance that way with any male (that had lived to tell the tale), and the guys had never seen their leader do such an emotional dance, _period._

Temper flaring, I voiced my thoughts.

"What're _you _lot gawking at?" I snapped, completely forgetting for the moment that I was instinctively holding on to my forced partner for support.

My girls (I didn't even glance at the other guys) looked me up and down, some confused, some looked flushed, and some enormously amused.

Wondering what the latter found so funny, I turned my head to reacquaint myself with reality.

What I saw left me completely venerable.

Before I could say anything offensive or tell the guy to get the hell off me, I found myself being dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Ow!" I yelped, the other girls coming to my defense. They stood over me, worried. I brushed them off, but nodded my thanks for worrying at all.

I turned to the offending demon.

"What the hell is your problem?" I yelled.

The demon didn't respond; he didn't even turn around. He just kept on walking to the door, but not before stopping in front of Ms. Ayano.

"I trust you're satisfied?" he sarcastically stated, more than asked.

With that, he turned on his heel, and left the classroom.

By this time, I was fuming. Who in the seven hells did this bastard think he was? I wasn't about to let _anyone_ make such a spectacle of me and not have to answer for it.

I ran out the door after him, not in tears, but with a new-found determination to tell him off. He wasn't about to get away _that _easy.

~Sesshoumaru~

She would probably be thinking that I had some sort of _problem_ right about now. She was just predictable like that. But I wasn't under any obligation to explain myself to _her_.

With her inferior ears, she _wouldn't_ know why I had dropped her as suddenly as I did.

I heard my cell ring during the dance. Obviously, I wasn't able to answer it at that moment. So I waited until the first possible moment afterwards to call back.

Now I could hear her footsteps behind me, and the fury radiating off her in tidal waves. And if I was being completely honest, I really couldn't care less what she had to say at the moment. I had to call Father back and find out what was going on. He wasn't one to call me while I was attending school; he knows full well I would use any excuse to escape from the Academy's grounds as soon as I was able. He must've had something of great importance to relay to me, if he was forced to contact me at all.

"Hey!" The girl yelled, as if she actually expected me to heed her call; I continued down the hall, unperturbed.

Predictably, her temper wasted no time in exploding.

"_Hey_!"

Before I knew it, she was in front of me, seething and wrathful. Her face mimicked her hair color, which was an amusing sight in itself.

She demanded to know what my problem was. Please. As if I, Sesshoumaru, had _any _problems to speak of in the first place.

"You can't just go around _dropping_ people!" She snarled in an attempt to sound and look intimidating. Needless to say, she failed miserably.

"I believe I can, and just did." I shot back, not really sure myself _why_ I was even bothering to argue with a little slip of a human female to begin with.

"You…" She trailed off, and I suspected she just couldn't find a word vulgar enough to describe her bitter hate towards me.

Not that I cared. She could think all she wanted. I was on my way to call Father and ask what had happened, and she wouldn't stand in my way.

"Stand aside." I ordered, continuing towards her menacingly. She didn't move an inch. On the contrary, my approach only seemed to serve in even further solidifying her resolve to stand in my way.

"I won't." She replied obstinately, standing her ground.

I didn't think even _she_ knew why she was making such a big deal over this.

She spoke again.

"I'm _not _about to get talked down to by some stuck-up, arrogant…" I tuned her out at that point and thought about what I was going to say to Father.

She continued on to say _exactly _what she thought of me, verbalizing more tasteless insults than even my idiot half-brother could come up with.

I decided to give her one last warning.

"You're in my way." I stated.

She threw a mocking look my way.

"No _duh_, Sherlock."

I sighed inwardly.

Obviously, the girl had no intention of doing what I told her to do; I began to walk forward again.

"You're not worth my time."

I walked right past her. Normally, I wouldn't have given up so easily, but I was out of patience.

Apparently, the girl didn't take kindly to being ignored. She told me to stop, and I just continued walking in the general direction of the office.

Suddenly, her aura skyrocketed in what I assumed was furious indignation.

"Meet me in the gym after school." She growled, turning on her heel and angrily stalking away in the other direction.

I watched her go indifferently. After a few seconds, I turned away and continued onward to the reception building to give my Father a phone call.

While tuning out the lessons I could hear going on in all the different classrooms that I passed, I vaguely wondered what the little spitfire had planned…

~Ms. Ayano Noriega~

I watched the pair of them leave the room, and smirked. I knew that they would probably have a (very likely one-sided) heated altercation in the hallway, but for the moment, I was just glad that they had the decency to take it _outside_ my classroom.

The way they glared at one another was just priceless! It took everything I had not to burst out laughing and put up my normal front.

When I saw the way the two had merely turned to the front to get in line, I knew the opportunity was simply too good to pass up. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Naomi actually fell for it; I couldn't believe my eyes! Although, I really shouldn't have been surprised with what happened. I mean, Naomi always _did _take everything too seriously. I mean, it was a joke! Honestly, nobody seems to have a sense of humor any more.

After the couple had left, I had started the class once again. The girls didn't need any guidance on what to do, and the boys followed the girls, so really, I was out of a job…but not completely. _Somebody _had to be there to make sure that nobody killed anybody else, at least while they were in _this_ classroom.

Just as I was getting comfortable, Naomi stalked into the room, the look on her face promising death to anyone who stepped into her path. Her classmates, most of them having seen this before, laughed nervously and stepped out of her way. I had to pinch myself to keep from guffawing at the situation before me. I already knew who and what the trouble was, and the way my (perhaps most talented) student never failed to get worked up over the littlest things just never got old.

And so my class progressed. Naomi, as usual, took the initiative and took over, making my job as simple as ever.

I could only guess and watch at what would happen next.

~Naomi~

I walked back into the dance classroom and tried to put the silver-haired bastard out of my mind. It was still the first day of school and I had to focus. After the final bell rang, it would be all business from that point on.

I told myself that, no matter what, we _would _settle things after the final bell. That is – if the guy even bothered showed up.

That thought pierced through whatever I had been doing at that moment. I shook my head and reassured myself that even if I _was_ just a worthless human in his eyes, he would still have the decency to at least show up and _try _to put me in my place. Or, at least, where he thought my place was.

I was fully confident in his ability to show up, even if at the very least to tell me off.

We would meet after school and hopefully get a few things straight in the process.

~Naomi~

_Brriiinnnggg! _

And with that, the first day of my last year at Katsumi Academy was over and done with.

I made the excuse to my girls that I had left something back at the school and that they could go on ahead without me. They carried on and I turned around, sprinting back to the Academy.

Making a roundabout route back to the school, I lost myself in the adrenaline rush, so much so that when I finally arrived at the gym door, my heart was pounding, party from exhilaration, and partly from anxiety.

Opening the doors, I realized that my demon rival hadn't arrived yet. I took the moment to reacquaint myself with how well our Academy's gym had been maintained over the summer, and all the memories that the stone walls had absorbed over the years.

"I never pictured you as the nostalgic type." A deep voice boomed from behind me.

Since I already knew who it was, I didn't turn, but instead shot back, "You're not very punctual, are you?"

"I don't heed humans_._" He huffed, adding, "Not that it would be any of _your_ business anyway."

"Oh yeah?" I challenged, already fuming. "Come in _here_ and say that to me."

"I don't repeat myself, human." He said, nonetheless striding forward with all the confidence of the showoff he was.

By now we both stood at opposite ends of the center of the room, staring each other down. I walked forward, and he mimicked my movements. Soon, we were directly in front of one another.

I swallowed, still without breaking eye-contact. Somewhere, far in the dark, abysmal depths of my mind, I knew this was a bad idea. I had to face facts, even if I would've had a remote chance of defeating him out in the open, where I wouldn't be afraid of blowing anything up, there was even less of a chance beating him in a place like this. Enclosed, and significantly more easily destroyed than some random field.

"Well?" He sneered. "Are you going to stand there all day? I understand that _you_ may have the luxury of being able to frolic around whenever and wherever you choose; _I_, however, have no such time to waste."

That did it.

I lunged at him blindly, fully intent on showing him exactly where all my _frolicking _had gotten me.

Within an instant, our noses were now only inches apart. I could hear his calm exhales from where I stood. I looked up into his molten golden eyes and saw that his breathing was as serene as his spirit seemed to be. I couldn't interpret any emotion in them, excluding the plain annoyance that was masking his features.

In one quick movement, I grabbed his collar, slid one of my legs behind one of his, and forced his knee out from under him, shoving him to the ground with the hands that held his shirt. (1)

He looked completely dazed for a second. It would appear that I had caught him off guard. I sat there, straddling his body firmly underneath my own. One of my hands still grasped his collar, and the other was up in a readied position.

"Listen _up_!" I hissed, shaking him, looking him straight in the eye to show I was serious. _"First of all,_ just because you're an almighty _demon_ doesn't mean that anyone else is beneath you; it just makes you a jerk."

I continued, "Second, I don't really care _who_ you think you are, but if you think you're gonna talk like that to me, and _not _get any type of reaction, you've got another thing coming, buddy." I seethed. He still hadn't moved.

Suddenly, he whipped his leg out from under me, and rolled us over until he was on top of me. I fought, but he was too heavy; I couldn't shake him off. I glared at him, refusing to remain still for even a moment; to do so would mean defeat.

"_You…_" he said, trailing off, looking at me for what seemed like an eternity, a faint look of wonder on his face. He seemed to space out a lot. Then he huffed, eyes freezing over once again.

"Hn." He scoffed. "You would do well not to cross me. Know that if you do, I shall have to kill you."

It was my turn to sneer. "Psh. I'd like to see you _try_ it. Besides, I would _never _lose to someone as self-centered and arrogant as _you._" I sneered.

A look of idle confusion was thrown my way.

"I believe you just did."

"Ha!" I taunted. "Right after I pinned you _first_. Eat _that_, dog boy! Nyah!" I threw back, sticking out my tongue.

His clawed hands tightened around my wrists, almost to the point of being painful. Was he going to snap them?

I winced, but I didn't show any sign of giving in. This guy was _not _going to trample all over me. I would not allow it.

"Listen well, as I only intend to say this once." He hissed, glaring into my eyes.

I glared right back.

"You will show the proper respect to your superiors, or you will suddenly find yourself in the Netherworld before you have a chance to realize the error you made." He proceeded to give me a condescending look that I knew scared most humans _and _demons out of their minds. Too bad he didn't scare me. Still, my pulse raced, making it clear that my mind knew the danger I was in, even if my heart did not.

I steeled my resolve, confident he would at least refrain from_ killing_ me.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Sesshoumaru." I said, little more than a whisper, eyes reflecting nothing but the pure determination from far within my soul. "I only obey those that I respect wholeheartedly. That, unfortunately, excludes haughty, self-absorbed, egotistic people like _you._"

He seemed surprised at that, perhaps because he didn't think a 'little human' like me would even be able to think that far. The dog demon looked puzzled, and continued to bear his weight on top of me, seemingly forgetting what an unflattering position we were in at that moment.

We stared at each other for a moment, the two of us engrossed in our own thoughts.

Just then, Sesshoumaru broke eye contact and his head snapped up. He stared at the door with unreadable features.

"What –?" I started to ask, before the demon cut me off. His golden orbs blinked back to mine, still holding that icy glare.

"Be silent." He ordered.

I opened my mouth to protest, but then found that my body had been relieved of the compromising weight that had hindered it only a moment ago. I glanced at Sesshoumaru, who was now standing a few feet away from me with a scathing look on his face.

Standing up, I turned my body so that it faced the center of the gym, where my opponent stood. I glared at him, but he seemed to be in his own little world. Suddenly, I heard the source of his distraction.

Footsteps penetrated the hallway. It was faint at first; I strained to hear. Just by listening to the footfalls, I couldn't tell who it was. However, the demon behind me seemed to know exactly who it was, and apparently wasn't very happy about it.

A shadow appeared in the window above the door. I instinctively crouched in a defensive position. The door opened, revealing a confused-looking Ms. Ayano.

"What's going on here? Tomo?" She asked. A few seconds later, she smirked and continued. "Well, don't _you_ look suspicious?"

I blinked, flushing crimson. "What are you talking about?"

Her smirk vanished, and her eyes narrowed. "Looks like you've got something to hide, Tomo." She said seriously.

I glanced away.

She gasped, taking my silence the wrong way. "You _do_!" she accused.

"I do _not_!" I argued.

She snickered. "I'm only teasing, Tomo. Now, what were you _really_ doing?"

I glared at my teacher, who was currently off-duty, which was why we could freely break protocol.

"Why don't you ask _him?_" I asked, jutting a finger in the direction of the middle of the gym.

Ms. Ayano raised an eyebrow. "_Him_? Him who?"

I blinked incredulously. _What? _

I whipped around and searched in vain for my opponent. Needless to say, the bastard was nowhere to be found.

_I don't believe this! _I thought, eyebrow twitching. _Although, knowing his character, I really shouldn't be surprised._

Sighing, I turned around to face my teacher once again, fully aware of how suspicious this seemed. I _knew_ he was here somewhere, but even I wasn't stupid enough to call out to him, all the while knowing he would blatantly ignore me as if I were his younger half-brother.

"It's only the first day…You sure you didn't hit your head over break?" Ms. Ayano teased.

"No, I'm fine, thanks, Ms. Ayano…"

"Alright, if you're sure…" She said, looking excessively amused at the whole situation. "It's not really any of my business, anyways. Ja!"

With that, she waved and left, probably heading for home.

I half-heartedly bid her good-bye, and as soon as she was out the door, I snapped back around to the now empty gym.

"Alright!" I shouted. "Playtime's over! Get out here!" I ordered, part of me already knowing the arrogant demon would ignore me no matter what I did.

When I was met with silence, I huffed, closed my eyes, and tried to track his massive demonic aura. Even though he attempted to mask it, an experienced priestess such as myself should be easily able to find such a conspicuous presence.

My eyes snapped open. _There!_ I proceeded to sprint in the direction I had found his aura.

Luckily for me, he was a very slow walker. I caught up with him in little to no time at all.

"Hey!" I yelled. "What's your deal? Leaving me to fend for myself! What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I wasn't aware you were so pathetic as to require my assistance deterring a single instructor." He sneered, not sparing me a glance.

"Yeah, well -" I started.

And that was the basically the whole of the conversation. I would throw a fit, trying to get _some_ sort of reaction from him, and he would simply ignore me, which was starting to feel like a natural thing.

~?~

"Are they the ones you've been looking for?" I asked.

"Yes." He said, still gazing at the pair through his Sight Mirror. The duo was heading towards their respective homes, with the female constantly picking a fight with her companion, and the said male simply rebuking her efforts perfectly in stride.

He smirked. "Yes, I think they'll do quite nicely."

He turned to me, and I caught a glimpse of the mischief reflected in his eyes.

"Take care of the preparations, will you?" He ordered, still sporting a Chesire cat-like grin in response to the image in the Mirror as he folded his hands in a more comfortable position as he continued to watch the bickering pair.

I sighed. Sometimes, one had to wonder _what _he was thinking. Not that I was in any position to argue.

As I hurried off to do as he bid, I couldn't help but wonder once again just what Master could be plotting this time…

**I love to read what people think of the story, so if you loved it, hated it, or whatever, PLZ REVIEW! It would be very much appreciated.**

**Ja ne! Until next time!**

**~White Jem~**


	8. Never Say Never

**Here you go!**__

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Justin Bieber, but don't let THAT stop you...) Naomi and Sesshoumaru are about to meet someone who will have a great deal of influence on their lives...and he underestimates them, especially Naomi. Will she show him the true meaning of 'Never say never'?**_

_**Never Say Never**_

~Naomi~

"You know," I started, "You could _at least _apologize for almost getting me into trouble back there."

"If you're so delusional as to think that you'll _ever_ hear such an apology from me, that's your problem, human, not mine." He deadpanned. His voice had stayed irritably monotonous throughout the entire conversation. That is, with _me_ doing most of the talking. Let me tell you, it got old after a while.

"Yeah, well -" I was cut off, slamming hard into the demon's back from behind.

"Hey!" I yelped, trying to keep my footing. "What's the deal?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer me, preferring instead to gaze into the deserted alleyway in front of us. I had just been following him blindly, knowing that this was the general direction of my house anyways.

"Earth to Sesshoumaru! Yo!" I called, snapping my fingers in a vain attempt to get his attention.

When he continued to ignore me, I smirked, and decided to change tactics.

"Here Sesshy!~" I cooed, slapping my thighs to emphasize my point. "Here, boy!"

_That _got his attention. He gave me a quick piercing glare, and then once again turned to face the alley interior.

I huffed, trying to fathom _what on earth _could have caught his attention so quickly completely. I looked away, deciding I didn't care. He probably wouldn't tell me anyway.

"What's got _your_ panties in a twist?" I quipped.

"You would do well to cease the shameless goading of my infallible temper in an incorrigible effort to snap it." He drawled. "It won't happen; you shouldn't waste your inferior mental capacity attempting such a trivial feat."

"Why you –! I oughtta –!" I started, temper quickly rising.

"You're a _feisty _pair, aren't you?" an amused voice inquired.

I froze.

–_the hell?_

There, floating only feet above the ground in front of us, was a massive glowing…_head?_

My vision spun for a moment. What was going on?

The disbelieving, incredulous look on my face must have been _priceless_. I voiced the only thought I could form at the moment.

"_Huh?_"

What can I say? This was a first for me.

The face in the orb was that of a middle-aged man with…_very_ well taken-care-of skin. His hair was pure white, and his sapphire eyes held more humor than I'd ever seen before, as if he'd seen a lifetime of comical scenarios.

Closing his eyes and grinning from ear to ear, he said cheerily,

"Hi!"

Still on my guard, I raised an eyebrow and inquired,

"Who the hell are you?"

"Very good, my dear," He chirped. "Short, sweet, and to the point; I like that!" I could almost hear him clapping his hands in glee.

I thought I heard someone behind him murmur something about how they wished someone would be more like that, but I couldn't be sure. If the massive head had heard the comment, he didn't give any visible sign that he had. He just kept on smiling that psychotic smile of his. It was really starting to creep me out.

"What do you want?" I inquired, deciding to give the weirdo the benefit of the doubt. _Maybe _the guy had reasonable explanation for trapping us in a, you know, _dark_ _alleyway_ …at twilight…

"I want what _you_ want!" The man said, flashing a cheeky grin in our direction.

I frowned, skeptical, and planted my hands on my hips.

"Yeah? And just what might _that_ be?" I asked, thinking there was no way this man could possibly know what I desired.

His grin widened, eyes crinkling on the edges, creating an almost sinister expression.

"Peace." He said confidently. "And justice."

Okay, so he had me. But I was still at a loss at what he wanted from us, and how he could use our desires to get what he wanted.

I heard someone behind the man clear their throat.

"Ahem, sir, your _point_, if you wouldn't mind." Another younger voice said.

The older man laughed. "Ah, yes, of course!" I could swear he was scratching behind his head at the other voice's comment.

"My point," The man said. "Is this; I have a proposition for you that I think you might be interested in."

"Hm?" I inquired, scowling. A proposition? What could he possibly mean by that? An ultimatum, possibly?

"It's really more of a job offer, actually." The man said embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head again.

Job? What kind of job?

I voiced my thoughts.

"Well, you wouldn't be doing anything different than what you usually would be doing…"

"So you want me to slay demons?"

"Yes, although you would have a specific target." The still nameless man replied. "And they will be significantly stronger than the demons that you normally have to deal with."

"And what's in it for us?" I asked, not really sure why I used the term '_us'._

"Well," he said, grinning again. "You would be given access to our prestigious training facilities. As for your partner, I'm sure he can find the job a reason in itself."

I didn't hear the last comment, thinking about his offer. I usually trained in the Academy's gym, or in a field that was on the outskirts of town. I'd never trained in a formal facility before. Curiously, I wondered how much different it could be.

"What about pay?" I asked.

The man laughed. "Oh, don't worry, the pay is good." He continued, "So is that a 'yes'?"

"Depends," I said, shrugging. "I don't usually work for nameless people."

The man chuckled. "Oh, right." He seemed to pause for dramatic effect.

"My name is Genichirou. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said with another one of his cheeky smiles. Now that I had been talking to him for more than a few seconds, it occurred to me the grin was meant to be reassuring… I wonder if its master knew that it had adverse effects on people.

Deeming introductions unnecessary, since this 'Genichirou' seemed to know _exactly _who we were and what we currently wanted out of life, I huffed.

"And as confirmation of your consent…" He grinned once again. What was he up to?

Then, without warning, he vanished.

"_Hey!_" I indignantly shouted after him. "I _haven't_ consented yet!"

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. I gasped; what was going on?

I fought to maintain my balance, and quickly glanced around to find something to hold onto. The fire escape seemed stable enough, so I grabbed the ladder and held on, waiting for the tremor to cease.

Sesshoumaru remained his aloof self throughout the entire experience. His face still held that stoic expression that he had worn for the majority of the time I had known him. He remained unimpressed.

As I continued to curse my new employer, a black void appeared in front of us. An ugly, evil-looking creature emerged from within the abysmal depths of the portal.

I lowered myself into a defensive stance. So, this was how Genichirou intended to test us of our worthiness? To see whether or not I actually had the power to fight off the demons he assigned me? Well, _fine_. I didn't lose often. I'm not arrogant enough to say it's never happened, but let me tell you: anyone who's had luck enough to defeat me _never_ enjoyed that feeling of triumph _twice_. My pride simply would not allow it.

I'd prove it to Genichirou, too, if that's what it took to get the proper respect I deserved.

My aura flared violently, signaling I was ready to begin anytime I wished.

Sesshoumaru had disappeared to God-knows-where. I didn't think about that at the moment. It didn't matter. I could do this with or _without_ his help.

I focused the energy for my attack in the palms of my hands, feeling my spiritual power pulse throughout my body. It was a strange sensation, one I had become used to in all my adventures as a modern priestess.

Feeling the sphere of energy in my hands pulsate, I knew it was time to let it go. If I did not, the explosion that would result would be focused on me alone, and not my enemy. I aimed and fired, hitting the monster squarely in the chest. It cried out in agony, and then dissolved, as was the result of my attack. Any physical contact with my spirit energy was lethal to any truly evil spirit, and unless they were extremely powerful, the foe would be obliterated in one shot.

Another characteristic of my attack was that on contact, it created a barrier around its intended target, resulting in the death (if not extreme injury) to the foe. This was a trick I had designed myself, as a precautionary tactic to protect the buildings around which I was fighting. It worked superbly, but my aim must be spot-on, or I can't afford to use it. For example, it wouldn't be an attack I'd want to use when I was sick.

But that rarely happened.

Enemy defeated, I reigned in the remainder of my power with ease.

I heard an amused chuckle fill the alleyway.

"Well done, my dear!" He sounded pleased, although I couldn't see his face. "I will send my assistant to fill you in on the details of your first assignment!"

I felt my infamous temper rise once again.

"Hey!" I shouted into the empty air. "Get back here! You can't just –!" I was cut off by another laugh.

"I don't think we'll see each other for a while." He said, as if this were a great inconvenience to us all.

"Is that a promise?" I asked scathingly; I hated him already.

Another chuckle. "Farewell, and take care until then!" I could practically _taste _the sarcasm in his voice.

With that, his voice faded away.

I huffed. He had _some _nerve, toying with us like that!

"That guy…" I growled, flexing my hands, which had been sorely deprived of physically kicking the perpetrator's behind; I _despised _being manipulated!

Vein still throbbing on my forehead, I became aware of the sound of footsteps becoming more and more distant.

It was Sesshoumaru, already walking away and leaving me behind.

I jogged to catch up with him. "Hey! What's the deal? You could've helped, you know!"

"It was easily perceived that you had the situation well in hand. There was no reason for me to interfere." He stated blandly.

Though it was true, I still thought he could've at least _tried_ to pull his weight. Then again, he had given me the chance to prove to myself once again that I needed _nobody _to protect me; I could take care of myself.

I glanced away. Though, all things considered, I should be _thanking _him for the opportunity to do so.

We walked in silence the rest of the way home.

~Genichirou~

I watched as the young priestess completely annihilated the Class B demon I had sent to test the both of them.

"What are you scheming_ this_ time, Master Genichirou?" an irritated voice sighed.

I turned around and grinned at my right-hand man. "Patience, Tatsuki." I replied.

He frowned, but voiced no more inquiries.

Turning back to the Mirror, I saw the pair striding to their respective homes without much opposition. Maybe the test had been a good idea after all.

"You didn't think it through?" An indignant Tatsuki choked.

I blinked at him, and realized I had spoken the last part out loud. I laughed sheepishly.

"Of course I did." I said, looking away from his eyes; he caught that.

"Liar." He accused.

I laughed heartily. "Now, now; let's not point fingers!" I teased.

My assistant scowled and looked away. I could tell he was still curious.

"So what _exactly _was your purpose for making them fight Class B, Specimen 42?"

"I needed to see what needs work!" I replied. "Strength, skill, technique? I had to know!"

"And the results?"

"Well," I said, scratching the back of my head. "So far, the only thing _I _saw that needed work was their _teamwork._"

"And how exactly do you intend to rectify that problem?"

"Oh, _come _now, Tatsuki." I chirped. "Have you ever known me _not_ to have a plan?"

His silence was insulting.

I laughed. "Well, like I said, their ability to cooperate is sorely lacking."

Tatsuki sighed. And how are you going to fix it, Master Genichirou?"

"Oh," I said, grinning devilishly. "I have my ways…"

**So, whatcha think? I hope you all enjoyed! **

**Plz **_**R&R!**_

**Ja ne, everybody!**

**~White Jem~**


	9. What If?

**I know the song in the title might be a little premature for this place in the story, but it fits the story alright, so I decided to use it. **

**Enjoy! ^^**__

_**Title Explanation: Artist (Colbie Caillat from **__**Letters to Juliet**__**) the song tells about two people that are in love, but the girl doesn't really know where they are going to go from there. But she stays positive, because she doesn't want to have any regrets to say 'What if?' about. Because you can never be certain what is and what isn't destined, but if you don't believe and you don't try, how would you know for sure? **_

_**What If?**_

~Naomi~

Turns out, Sesshoumaru lived closer than I would have ever imagined. His residence was a little more than 5 blocks away from our establishment.

My family lived in a two story complex, and although it wasn't as huge as my now forced partners' abode, it was _home_, so I have no complaints.

When I got home after our 'test', I couldn't help but feel exhausted at the day's activities. I mean, paired with the school, and defeating the demons I faced on a daily basis (from requests), I wasn't sure I was really cut out for a job like this. Not many people realized how tiring things like this could be.

Giving my family a brief explanation for my lateness, I climbed the stairs after a quick snack and headed to my room.

I lay down on my bed and wondered if I'd been right to accept Genichirou's offer.

_Aw, what the hell, _I thought, closing my eyes after sliding in amongst the covers. _I always __**did **__say I loved a challenge…_

And with that, I fell victim to the fatigue that had been eating away at my body for quite some time now.

~Sesshoumaru~

As I sat in my (according to Inuyasha) trademark position (ie: back up against the windowsill, hand resting on one bent knee), I looked up at the moon, pondering the days' events. The girl (Naomi?) had more power raging inside her than I would have ever thought possible. She was able to defeat a Class B demon with ease. I wondered what else she was capable of that I didn't know about.

Demons in the modern world were classified by their strength, power, and capabilities. The three of them are averaged out, and that's how the humans come up with the ratings. I suppose you could think of it as something similar to receiving a grade in school, where 'F' was the lowest and 'C is average. Because Class C is the normal power level, there are more of demons in that category than those in the 'B' level. I often wondered what the humans were thinking when they created an 'F' rating; those were the demons that were so weak, and so few in numbers, they weren't even worth worrying about.

However, unlike a test score, the result, 'A', isn't the highest score one can achieve. In the ranks, if one was born a level 'C demon, but had the drive to attempt to become a 'B' or even 'A' Class demon, they could achieve that with enough training (or eating enough humans). However, if one was already born into one of the higher rankings (high 'B' or 'A') as part of their birthright, the only place they could go is up.

The S Class…Now _there_ was a subject worth talking about. The only demon I knew that had that ranking was Father. I never asked, but Father always knew I constantly wanted to know whether or not I was progressing at a noteworthy rate. He said I was A Class. Whenever I pressed him for further specification, he let slide his opinion that he thought that I was '_very high_' A Class. He told me that there was only one thing holding me back from surpassing him, a 'middle' S Class, to a _super_ S Class demon. That was what I wanted more than anything, what I _still_ wanted, if I was being completely honest with myself.

Father never told me what it was that he thought was holding me back. I wanted to know, but he said it wouldn't make a difference if I knew or not. It was apparently something I had to learn on my own.

_Hn, _I thought, closing my eyes. _It isn't as though I won't figure it out eventually._

~Naomi~

It rained harshly throughout the entire morning. When I opened my eyes, I became aware of the pelting raindrops on my second story window.

Rising from the warm, comforting sanctuary that was my bed, I stood clad in blue flannel pajamas that complimented my eyes. I gazed, almost sullenly, out the window, inwardly cursing my luck to have it pour mercilessly on the second day of school.

Though most of Japan was in the midst of the annual monsoon season, we hadn't received as much precipitation as we had anticipated. We were at an overall low for yearly rainfall in over a decade. Although, I figured that I should be counting myself lucky that it hadn't rained during the first _weekend_ of the school year.

I sighed, and began to ready myself for the day. After eating and showering, I made sure my teeth were clean before I dressed. It wouldn't do if I got toothpaste all over my uniform, now would it?

Grabbing an umbrella and bidding good-bye to my family, I ran out the door. I quickly pulled up short when I saw the rain had intensified in the time it had taken me to get ready for school. I sighed; there wasn't any real point in sprinting to the Academy if I could simply walk under the umbrella that I had taken with me.

Opening the pink umbrella that I had grabbed from the bucket by the front door, I stepped out into the pouring rain.

Walking a couple blocks, my head drifted down, looking at my feet as I walked. Thoughts from yesterday plagued my mind. I wondered what our first assignment might be…

I was shaken from my thoughts by a pair of shoes appearing in my peripheral vision. I quickly halted to avoid colliding with the person. Looking up irritably, I readied myself to give the guy a piece of my mind.

"You know," I started, ignoring his peeved look. "When someone is walking towards you in a daze, the _polite_ thing to do would be to get out of their way." I waved my hands around in emphasis.

I heard a sigh. "And I wasn't aware it is a custom to almost run people over just because _you're_ on an off-day." He was also holding an umbrella, and though his body language told me he was outwardly relaxed, it also alerted me to the possible internal tension.

I finally snapped out of my half-assed rage and got a good look at his appearance. His eyes were such a shade of cerulean I mistook them for twin oceans at first. He wore a suit and tie, and his black hair wasn't as tidy as his personality seemed to be; the guy seemed really uptight. His face was pulled taut in a frown that made me realize he was often stressed _way _more than was necessary, and it didn't look entirely healthy.

Reining in my anger, I made myself calm, and gave in to my subtle curiosity.

"Who are you anyways?"

Another aura suddenly appeared behind me and a voice sneered,

"_That_ should be obvious."

I whirled around, not liking who I knew I would be facing as soon as I did.

True to my intuition, there stood my new…partner?

The dog demon spoke up again. "As I thought," he stated smugly in my direction. "Your senses are _truly_ as inadequate as I would've guessed."

That pissed me off.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped, vein quickly appearing on my forehead.

The man behind me sighed, running a hand through his hair in aggravation. His annoyance was evident in the way his face was scrunched.

"_Honestly,_" he sighed, "Why in _heaven _Master Genichirou would pick a couple that bickers as much as you do is completely beyond me."

"You want to quit criticizing and start explaining who you – wait. Genichirou?" I asked, startled. "You know him?"

"Oh, _no._ Where _ever_ did you come up with such a fool idea?" The sarcasm dripping off his voice must be something he picked up from his so-called 'Master'.

"I am Tatsuki." He introduced, gesturing towards himself, giving a polite but half-assed bow. "It's a pleasure."

"It'd be much more pleasurable if you weren't thinking of making me miss the second day of school."

"Oh my," he sounded surprised. "So you aren't _completely _brainless."

The vein reappeared. "Was that a joke?" I hissed. "Or are you just trying to get on my last nerve?"

Tatsuki sighed once again and turned away from us.

"Follow me for your first assignment." He instructed, and started walking away in the other direction.

"Hey!" I yelled. "What about my classes?"

Tatsuki's shoulders heaved another sigh and slowly stopped walking. "Your absences will be excused, as your Headmaster is already informed of the situation."

"Uncle is?" I asked. "How's he know about this; about you?" This whole situation seemed to be getting more and more suspicious all the time.

"I shall explain on the way. Step lively." He ordered, once again turning in the direction he had been facing. He held up a hand, and a black void appeared out of nowhere. It was quite similar to the portal we had seen before that 'test' demon had appeared. Without a trace of hesitation, Tatsuki stepped through and continued walking, expecting us to follow.

I took a few steps forward, and turned back to look over my shoulder at Sesshoumaru. He was glaring at the portal, as if he expected it to jump out and attack him at any moment. Then, without any warning, he started forward and passed me, not sparing me a glance.

Not one to get left behind, I quickly fell into step beside him, and we entered the portal side by side.

While inside, it occurred to me that I because I was missing school, I would, without a doubt, have makeup work when I got back. I inwardly groaned at the thought.

With a sigh, I proceeded to shake off such thoughts.

"So you're the assistant that Genichirou told us about?"

"_Plainly_." Sesshoumaru sneered.

I struggled to keep my temper in check. "And _how, _exactly, did _you _figure it out?" I turned my head towards him and awaited his answer.

"His aura is strange." He said, giving me a condescending sideways glance. "Or didn't you notice?"

Ignoring my quick demand for him to shut up, he continued.

"His presence was close to my dwelling." He explained. "Then I felt your aura rising along with your temper; I wanted to see what all the commotion was about."

Nodding, I turned my attention back to Tatsuki, who was silently leading the way a few feet in front of us. "So my Uncle knows about our..." I trailed off, rolling my eyes. "…situation?"

I saw him nod the affirmative. "He knows everything that we are at our leisure to tell him."

"What more is there to know?" I was honestly curious.

"Essentially, we are an organization that functions outside of your realm."

"Our…_realm?_"

"Putting it simply, we reside and work in a separate dimension than yours." Seeming to read my mind, he added, "Our Corporation is called Universal Intelligence, or UI for short. We know where, when, and how everything in your world happens."

It all seemed so unreal. _Everything?_

Although, that would probably seem like a stupid question; he'd just said that.

I stumbled back into reality, hearing Tatsuki continue. "The division that the pair of you now work for is called the 'Elimination' or 'Punishment' Force. There are other divisions that co-exist with yours, but that is on a need-to-know basis, and you currently do not need to know."

"I'm assuming that we're going to be bringing down demons that have been eating humans, but…If you already knew all that, and what the outcome of all of it will be, then why bother?"

Tatsuki sighed. "Most every system has a glitch of some sort. Ours is no exception. While we, the UI Headquarters, can easily trace the activities and doings of humans…" he trailed off. "Demons aren't _quite _so easy to track."

I gasped in disbelief. Huh?

"Their naturally malevolent aura jams the tracers and watchers we have stationed all around the realm (mostly in Japan), making the observation of the humans more difficult."

"But if that's the case, then why haven't all the demons been wiped out?" I asked, gesturing to Sesshoumaru to make my point. He glared at me out of the corner of his eye.

"The immense interference of the auras only seems to come from unauthorized demons. _That's_ what you'll be fighting, essentially, not the actual demons."

"_Un_authorized demons?" I asked.

"Yes," Tatsuki replied. "Registered demons such as Sesshoumaru and his family have significantly less effect on the tracers. That's why _your_ job is going to center on bringing in the demons that are out of line; eating humans and such."

I was starting to get it now. But one thing still bugged me. "If you don't mind my asking, why _me_?"

I saw Tatsuki's shoulders heave again, and he seemed to answer through clenched teeth. "_Master Genichirou_ thought that it would prove amusing if he chose the most powerful of both the demons _and_ the humans and have them work together."

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I hissed, "_What?_"

Another sigh. "Don't ask me why," he stated wearily. "But Master seems to like to…Well, put simply, he's very…_mischievous._"

"You mean conniving!" I accused.

I could _swear_ I saw him sweat-drop at that.

He chuckled nervously. "Think what you want. He likes to fool around, but he doesn't _hurt_ anybody. In fact, I'd say that when he really_gets_ serious, there's no one better suited to do his job more than he is."

"And that job would be…?"

"He is essentially the Overseer." Tatsuki explained. "He supervises most of the important things that go on in UI, and he's very good at it…" He sweat-dropped again. "When he wants to be…"

I kinda felt sorry for Tatsuki. Here he was, working his butt off for his boss, while the said boss lazes about on his own behind. I mean, I'm all for having a break once in a while, but from what I gathered, Tatsuki seemed to be doing most of the real work…but what did I know?

"Not much." Sesshoumaru sneered.

My face heated up. Did I say that out loud?

Trying to keep the blood from further flooding my face, I looked ahead at where Tatsuki was finally leading us out of the void. I nearly sighed in relief. I didn't like the dark, but the conversation had kept me busy enough. As we neared the end, I tried to make head or tails of the information that I had received from our guide.

So demons in general caused a disturbance in tracking devices used by our new employers, the UI. And only _unauthorized_ demons, such as the ones we would be bringing in, caused so much of a problem to warrant their arrest. Registered youkai had less of a dramatic effect on the tracers, which was why they were left alone, for the most part.

I prepared myself to blink as we neared the exit. Since we had left the road on the way to school, (AKA: in the MORNING), I assumed that the time of day would be the same, if not a little later.

Squinting, Sesshoumaru and I trailed behind Tatsuki out of the portal. Amazingly, the preparation was unnecessary; it was dark outside…Wait! It was _what?_

"Okay, Tatsuki, what's the deal? Why's it night already?" I inquired.

"We've arrived at the site of your assignment." He calmly replied.

"No _duh, _Sherlock. What I wanna know is why we left at _7 _in the morning, and we come back at, what? Midnight?"

Tatsuki sighed. "Actually, it's only going on six o'clock."

"Six?" I gasped. "How'd that happen?"

He looked thoughtful. "I guess I forgot to tell you. The portal doesn't stop or quicken time. It just creates an obstacle-free path so the public places are avoided."

I proceeded to ask why that was. He said it was because if people saw me screaming in outrage at the air, they would come to certain conclusions. Conclusions that would interfere with our future assignments.

"Plus," he added. "You didn't have to pay for train fare. You should be _thanking _me."

"Train fare?" I cried indignantly. "_Exactly_ how far away did we travel?"

"Well…"

We had arrived in a dark alleyway that had a garbage dumpster at either end of it. There seemed to be a number of bars and/or restaurants nearby, as I could tell by taking in the scent of freshly cooked dishes.

Seeing Tatsuki's gesture to follow him, Sesshoumaru and I walked out of the alley and into the deserted street. There was litter cluttered about the sides of the street, and many of the streetlights were either flickering with overuse, or had burned out long ago.

But as we stepped out into the open, I felt a wave of nostalgia. I began to wonder where it came from, but then I suddenly registered what I was seeing.

My eyes widened considerably. _No... __way__…_

Getting over my initial surprise, I began to focus on _praying_ that our assignment wasn't what I thought it was.

"We've arrived." Tatsuki repeated.

"What…is this?"

"Hm?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" I shouted, hearing my voice echo eerily off the interior of the empty street. "I bet your stupid 'Master' set this all up!"

"I haven't the faintest idea _what _you're talking about." Tatsuki replied, but something about his voice still made me suspicious.

"Don't lie to me!" I snapped, vein popping on my forehead. "And where do you think _you're_ going?"

"Take care, now." He bowed slightly, and then turned to walk away.

"_Hey_! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!" I ordered, shaking a finger at him. "And what about our assignment?"

"I assume you know where to go from here." He calmly replied.

"A-ha! So you _did_ set this up!"

"Think what you want." Tatsuki said, once again turning to face the other direction. "Good-bye now."

With that, he disappeared into the fog. Sesshoumaru, who had been standing in silence the whole time, looked as if he wanted nothing more than to let his emotions play on his face for once to convey his understandable confusion to me.

As I angrily planted my fists on my hips, I growled a whole string of curses that my mother would've had my head for, if she'd ever heard me say them in her presence.

I turned to face the place that had caused such a ruckus.

It was an old-fashioned hotel, complete with the neon lights and the cursive writing that embellished the name of the hotel. Unfortunately, that was probably the _only_ thing that was embellished about it. Behind the pretty lighting, the building was plainly made of worn-down old bricks, and the mortar looked more chipped and beaten up since the last time I'd been there. Thankfully, _that _had been a while.

If you're looking for a basic visual, it wasn't the suburbs. It was more of a slum-type area. Not nice. Think Chicago.

_Now _I understood why we had only reached this place at this hour. Even if the portal allowed us a fast, obstacle-free path to our destination, this town was so far away, I was surprised we made it here _today._ It must have created a wormhole of sorts to get us all the way here within the same day. The travel time had been cut in half, though I still wasn't completely sure of the details yet.

"What was all the commotion about?" Sesshoumaru inquired; he had finally decided to give in to his kitten-like curiosity.

I huffed. "I spent a lot of time here when I was young." I sighed. Never thought I'd ever have to relive this one. "Even if I took the fastest train, which wasn't often, I wouldn't get here in one morning. That's how far away we are. We're in Hokkaido. To Sapporo, by train, it would take…," I huffed again. "A_t least_ ten to eleven hours if we left from Tokyo, which is where we started."

"I take it these aren't pleasant memories?"

"As if you care." I scoffed. "And no, not at all."

Actually, that wasn't the entire truth. I had _some_ good times here, but very _very_ few of them. Too few to even be worth mentioning.

Anyways, if Genichirou was thinking was I thought he was thinking, I was starting to hate him more every passing second.

"So I assume that you have a clue on what the assistant meant by 'you'll know what to do'?"

I scoffed. "Of course I do."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

With that, he began to walk past me and headed for the steps that led to the entrance.

_Crap!_

I leaped in front of him, blocking his way.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "What exactly are you doing?"

"You can't just walk in!" I screeched.

"Isn't that the purpose of a front door? And a welcome sign?"

"_Yes, _but you forget I know this place." I sighed, exasperated that I should have to explain myself. "_And_ its owner."

He again raised an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"It _means_, he won't let just _anybody _see him," I said. "You've got to be invited."

"Then what's the point of giving it a hotel exterior?"

I sighed impatiently. "Because it is just a ruse to get people to think that there aren't any shady operations going on in there!"

"Then what did you have in mind?" He asked.

I sighed again, irritated that I was starting to sound as exhausted and monotonous as Tatsuki had. "I have a plan…Sort of." _But we're going to have to play by __**his**__ rules…_(I cleverly left that part out.)

My shoulders heaved. _I don't like this… I don't like this at all._

**There you go! Hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ^^**

_**R&R **_**if you liked!**

**Ja! **

**~White Jem~**


	10. I See the Light

_**Title Explanation: (Eugene and Rapunzel from **__**Tangled**__**) This song is about seeing someone in a different light; seeing the good qualities in someone that had previously had gone unmarked by you in the past. Sesshoumaru and Naomi only see what is on the surface of the appearance of the other, but if they look a little deeper, there would be no doubt that they would finally 'See the Light'.**_

_**I See the Light**_

I led the way down the street, my senses alert and searching for any possible threats. I knew that _he_ would know just what I was doing. He had his ways, and he was a viable source of information. Little happened around here without his hearing about it. And if I was correct in my hunch, he would be just the person we needed to find out exactly where we were supposed to find the demon we were to bring in.

I had an idea of how to get in, or at least avoid being attacked. Getting inside the hotel wasn't the only problem, but I did have to have a way to visually show Sesshoumaru my plan if it was going to work.

Finally stopping at the building I had been looking for, I looked up and saw it was the same as when I had last seen it. I needed a different person for the visuals, and they should be inside the building right now, if we were lucky.

Climbing the steps, I glanced behind me to find Sesshoumaru following. It had been a first that he'd even decided to do this in the first place. With his aura, I had no doubt he was an A Class demon, if not higher. He could probably _fly_ home, if that's what it took. But for some reason, he was still here. I wonder why?

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I set to work on devising how I was going to get this person to get me what I needed, without getting myself killed in the process.

~?~

I sat at my keyboard, typing away at the reports that I was to have done by the end of the week. Sighing, I realized that I had been so absorbed in my work that I had failed to notice that the all of my colleagues had long since said good-bye and gone home. I then let my fingers hover above the keyboard, reveling in the silence of the office without the constant unconscious _tip-tap_-ing of the pressed keys under my fingertips.

Closing my eyes, I allowed my mind a brief rest. I knew that to the others, I seemed like nothing more than a mindless workaholic. I had no problem with that; I didn't care what they thought. There was only one person that had ever inspired me enough to work as hard as I do now, and she had been _ten_. I sighed again; it figured.

Opening my eyes to gaze out the window, I rested the side of my chin on my palm, smiling as I looked back on what I remembered of her. She had always been a trailblazer, able to get full-grown, three hundred-pound men to do what she wanted, simply by saying what she felt. Easily carried away, but never malicious; harsh-sounding, but willingly forgiving. She was an enigma, even at such a young age. I had admired her as I had never looked up to any adult before…

But then there was that incident, and she had stormed out of this town, never to return. My eyes watered at the thought. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't miss her bossy attitude, her innocent smile, and her excited joy at greeting a new day…

I scoffed. What iron; a mature woman like me, dwelling on a long-gone little girl that was the manifestation of single-minded determination.

Hearing voices from the hallway, I quickly dismissed it as a fellow worker, coming back to retrieve a forgotten item. But then I actually processed the voice pitch. It sounded like that of a teenage girl, yelling at someone or other about what a stupid…_dog?..._they were. I sweat-dropped. What kind of an insult was that?

The footsteps (and the one-sided arguing) ceased at my door, the intruders knocked requesting permission to enter. That was odd. Seeing as there really wasn't any other choice, I bid they come in a clear, but soft voice.

Opening the door, the pair walked in, with the teenage girl leading, and a young man that looked around eighteen following closely behind her. Right off the bat, I could tell that the former was human, and the latter was a youkai. They seemed to be very strong, although they didn't seem to trust each other at all_._

That was when I truly registered the face before me. She had been glancing over at her companion with the funniest look of hopelessness on her face. The combination of fiery red hair and the soft blue of her eyes were astounding, to say the least. You didn't see many people with that color mix nowadays.

That same fire…The fire that made me wish her eyes were a crimson to match the likely color of her temper.

Though I tried to hold them back, tears sprung into my eyes, making my vision blurry.

I couldn't stop myself; I leaped at her.

~Naomi~

See, _this_ is why I had feared for my life! The woman can't go seven years without seeing somebody, and not _strangle _them when she finally reunites with the said person.

I sighed, gently trying to escape from her death-grip.

"_Midori._" I whined, shutting one eye. I probably looked pained, but I was just embarrassed. I gently started attempting to pry myself away from her strong grip. After a moment, though, I realized her shoulders were shaking. Her arms around me were firm and desperate, as if she feared I would disappear. Psh, as if that would ever…

My eyes instantly softened. _That's right…_ I _had_ vanished on her. I hadn't even said 'good-bye'… And now, here we were, with my still-dear friend crying into my shoulder. Her shoulders heaved with the effort of holding back all the emotion she was feeling.

My arms hesitantly rose to envelop my friend as I realized what I would have done if it had been Kimi-chan that had been upset.

The dam broke. The strong and intelligent, hard-working woman that I had come to know and love, crumbled before my eyes into a sobbing heap.

I lowered both myself and Midori to the floor without jostling her too much.

I looked away embarrassedly. _Well, this is awkward…_

Still, I sat with her, stroking her hair and murmuring her name, telling her everything would be alright.

Twenty minutes later, she calmed, and I quickly grabbed a tissue box from atop someone's desk. They wouldn't miss it.

My old friend finally looked up at me. Her once beautifully made-up eyes were now bloodshot and stained with newly-smeared mascara. The eye shadow above her eyes was, for the most part, untouched, but poor Midori looked so miserable.

_Well, _I thought. _I can fix that. _

Giving her a warm, apologetic smile, I reached behind me and pulled forward my backpack that was now virtually useless, since we weren't at school. I quickly brought out the make-up bag I kept with me at all times for emergencies like this one. What I had come for could wait; I needed to help Midori first. I giggled at the thought, my inner girly-girl awakening for the moment.

Setting my backpack out of the way, I set to work. Brushing back Midori's hair from her eyes, I removed the damaged makeup.

All the while, I could feel eyes burning into my back. Sesshoumaru. I knew what the look was for, too. It was the 'what-the-hell-are-you-doing-this-isn't-what-we-came-here-for' look. Did he think I didn't know that? The first chance I got, I whipped around and gave him a look of my own. One that clearly told him to lay off. Like he was any better (or _faster_) at comforting someone than I was.

I scoffed. _As if._

~Sesshoumaru~

I couldn't believe it.

This small, delicate, young, _human_ woman with a temper as fiery as her hair, was more than just _that_. I had originally thought that she was all bark and no bite, but then I saw her power, which had been quite impressive. (For a human, that is.) I had then thought she was all brawn and no brain. That is, until I found out she actually had a plan for locating the demon that we were supposed to vanquish.

And now here she was, comforting another strange human like herself. And I had thought she didn't have a drop of compassion in her. This was the first I ever saw of her now-apparent maternal side.

Hn.

How…_unexpected._

Once again, I had been proven wrong. This woman never ceased to amaze me, with all her quirks. Strong, but gentle. Tough, but compassionate. Quick tempered, but competent.

She was _truly_ an enigma.

~Naomi~

"_Blueprints?_" A dumb-founded Midori asked.

"That's right." I said, trying not to laugh at the expression on her face. Obviously, this hadn't been the request she'd been expecting. "I – _we _– need to infiltrate the hotel down the street."

"Hotel down the street? You mean your –?" She drifted off, and looked my way, silently asking if she was correct in assuming what I was thinking.

I sighed. "Yep, that's the one." _The Grand Marina…_

Asking no more questions, Midori got up from her seat on the floor, and quickly walked over to a file cabinet across the room. Opening the middle drawer, she fished around until she found the material that she wanted. I knew she could get in trouble for this, but I was counting on all of this staying between us…That way she wouldn't be overly involved.

Striding back towards us, she handed me the file. Our eyes met, and I knew what she was thinking. _What are __you____thinking? _

I gave her a slight nod to reassure her I knew what I was doing. At least, I _hoped_ I did…

Standing up, I nodded at Sesshoumaru, who had been standing the whole time, to follow me. I figured that he would be more reluctant to follow if he thought I was ordering him around. Therefore, I let him think that following me was his _own_ idea. It was a clever bit of reverse psychology that I used on Kimi-chan from time to time.

I smirked at the thought of such an elementary tactic working on someone who thought he was so great. Brushing the amusing thought aside, I headed over to a clear, unoccupied desk in the center of the room. Opening the document, I scanned the grids that were displayed throughout the entire page.

The paper was blue (go figure), and the white lines that embellished the page came together to form the figure of a ten-story building.

"Okay," I spoke in a hushed tone, knowing he could hear me anyways. I pointed to the center of the top floor, finely manicured nails brushing against the file. "The guy were looking for is here."

"And he'll be able to tell us where our assignment is located?" Even without looking up, I knew that eyebrow was quirked again.

I nodded. "Most likely; not much happens around here without his knowing about it."

I continued, guessing his thoughts. "The front door's out; we'll have to find another way in…" My eyes continually scanned the blueprint, trying to remember what route I had always used when I was here as a child.

I found it.

Pointing to the right of the diagram, I continued. "We'll come in here."

"We'll _fly _in?" He sounded skeptical.

Did he just crack a joke? "No." I said, shaking my head. "There's a building right next to the hotel. We can probably get in through here." I had never tried this route before, although I had always wanted to try.

He came to look over my shoulder. "What? Through a window?"

I again shook my head, strangely patient. "Uh-uh. Although the diagram doesn't show it, there's an entire-story balcony in the center of the hotel." I smirked. "With the right timing, we should be able to get across and into the building. After we've gotten inside, there should be an elevator that leads directly up to the penthouse, which is where our man is."

Suddenly I remembered something, and as a consequence, my face darkened.

It didn't get past Sesshoumaru. "What?"

"I just remembered…" I paused. "There's a …labyrinth of sorts when we get to the penthouse."

"Labyrinth?"

I nodded. "Like a test, sort of…We'll to fight our way through each room to get to the person we want to see." It had always resembled a video game in that sense, when I had thought about it as a child. "Naturally, you don't have to if you're expected. But if you're not…" I sighed. "Things get a little more complicated."

I gestured to the spiral-like pattern that decorated the top floor ground plan. In the center of the floor was the room we wanted, and a circle of separate rooms surrounded it, with only the last door actually leading to the middle.

Chuckling, I turned halfway to face him. "Although, _you _shouldn't have a problem with it, _Mr. A-Class Demon._" I teased.

He glared at me, but said nothing.

Then he straightened up. "How can you be sure this is going to work?"

I was going to snap at him and ask if he had a better idea, but I, amazingly, calmed down.

I gave him a reassuring smile and shrugged. "I guess you're just going to have to trust me."

Determination renewed, I thanked Midori for all the help, and ran out of the room, with Sesshoumaru on my heels.

It was time to get started.

**There you go! Hoped you liked. **_**R&R!**_** I love to hear new ideas and comments, so throw them at me, and I'll see what I can do! ^^**

**Hoped you enjoyed reading! I certainly enjoyed writing it!**


	11. Tomorrow

_**Title Explanation: (Full Metal Panic opening) There are times when we don't necessarily look forward to tomorrow, because we had a bad day or things just aren't falling into place the way you hoped they would. The thing to remember is that as long as you're alive, and have something to protect, whether that is pride or a dear one, you can find a way to live, not only for them, but for 'Tomorrow'. **_

_**Again the title doesn't necessarily fit the chapter, but facing tomorrow bravely fits in real life as well as the story to an extent. **_

**Enjoy! ^^**

_**Tomorrow**_

We stood on the rooftop of the building neighboring the _Grand Marina_, wind blowing feely without any higher buildings to hinder it.

Sesshoumaru by my side, we stood in quite a heroic position, with the sun in our face, and the wind at our backs.

I wasn't afraid to do this. On the contrary, I was excited, to the point where my limbs were shaking, not with fear, but with anticipation.

Backing up for a second, I realized exactly what I was so looking forward to. We were getting ready to skydive off a building. For anyone else, this stunt _would_ be considered insane. I mean, _duh_. But for someone who has jumped off more cliffs, roofs, balconies, ect., than I could keep track of, this was just another day in my crazy-but-semi-normal life.

Glancing to my side, Sesshoumaru caught my eyes and held them. Smoldering amber meets cool cerulean blue, and sparks flew.

Turning my attention back to the situation at hand, I asked, "Ready?"

He scoffed, and crouched, ready to spring. "Hn. Just don't screw up." With that, he jumped off the building wind tearing through that fine silver hair of his.

It was my turn to huff. Ha. _Me_, screwing things up. He should worry about himself!

Aiming for the veranda across the way, I jumped off the roof, loving the way the breeze intensified as the time I was in the air lengthened. Using my spirit energy to adjust my flight pattern into something non-lethal, I landed softly on the polished marble floor of the _Grand Marina_'s central balcony.

Seeing Sesshoumaru already walking away, I wondered if he actually knew where he was going. Quickly striding past him, I lead the way in, knowing I would just be wasting my breath in asking him to wait up.

Walking in through the doors quietly, I glanced around at the interior of the fifth floor of the building. All clear. Nodding to Sesshoumaru, we both crept quickly to the elevator, if you could ever imagine _Sesshoumaru_ creeping anywhere…

Remembering something vital, I stepped in front of Sesshoumaru, and placed my hand on the openings that would reveal the inside of the elevator when it got here.

I closed my eyes and let my power have some free reign. It swam inside the wires and gave me a visual of its journey in my mind. I saw my spirit energy surge through the cables that connected the video camera inside the elevator to the main security base in the building.

I knew that he would know about the disruption of the camera, but I figured it would at least give us a little of a edge before we had to deal with his men.

With a trademark _ding! _, the doors opened and I hurried inside, with Sesshoumaru right behind. _If we can just get to the top floor without any trouble…_

I tried not to fidget around too much while in the elevator. As always, Sesshoumaru was just the _picture_ of calm. I rolled my eyes…It figured…

Turning my attention back to the dial on the top of the doors, I read the light. We were almost there.

Once at the top, we would have to face different bodyguards of his…They are all set in rooms that, together, form a spiral shape, with our man in the center… It wouldn't be easy, but that's why we were the good guys, right?

With a decisive _bing_!, the elevator doors opened, revealing a room that housed nothing more than another door on the other side.

We stepped out, side by side, and made for the next door. Unless I was mistaken, there were no cameras hidden in this room. We were safe, for the moment.

I glanced to Sesshoumaru, who stood, silent as ever, about a foot behind me. We were in front of the door now, and he looked as relaxed as if he were on vacation, instead of on an assignment. You had to admire the work it must have taken to create that elaborate a mask of emotion…

"What is it?" A raised eyebrow signified its' owners' carefully disguised curiosity.

I shook my head. "Nothing. You ready?"

A huff was my only response, as if to say, 'I was **born** ready.'

I gave him a small grin, and turned back to the door.

Placing my hand on the doorknob, I swung open the door with little more than a second's hesitation.

We strode inside, with me carefully leaving the door open behind us in case of an unlikely need for retreat.

There, waiting for us, was a tall, burly man that looked like he should be far past his prime, but had extended it indefinitely, making him look more like an old man's face with a twenty-five-year-old's body than the intimidating obstacle I'm sure he was hoping he looked like.

I shuddered; I'd forgotten how in-shape these guys were supposed to be in at all times, even when they hit their fifties. Shaking my head, I ridded myself of these thoughts and proceeded to bend into my stance. Telling him to move would be a waste of breath; we should just cut to the chase.

Sesshoumaru seemed to think the same; I could see his body tense in the corner of my eye, ready to jump into action.

The whole fiasco was unnecessary; as soon as we showed the signs of our readiness to fight, a strange thing happened.

The wall opened.

I'm not trying to make this sound like Anastasia, or anything, though; it's true! No lie; the middle of the wall to our right suddenly _opened…_

Still in my stance, I looked at the opening incredulously. What the hell was going on? I thought we would have to fight our way through. I mentally shrugged and allowed myself to feel relieved that I didn't have to fight any more than I had to. Contrary to popular belief, I don't particularly _like_ fighting. It's an occupational hazard, and mostly unavoidable, I'll admit, but someone had to do it.

I heard a chuckle coming from beyond the door. "Come in, come in." The guard stepped back respectfully at the sound of the voice and lowered his eyes. Just what I'd expect from the head, reaping fear and respect everywhere he went.

We walked cautiously toward the opening. I would know that voice anywhere. Still, it shouldn't be this easy…

I scowled; something was up.

And I wasn't sure I really wanted to know exactly _what…_

Glancing around the small hallway in-between the rooms, I made sure to keep my guard up. I didn't bother to hide my suspicions; subtlety had never really been my strong point.

As we reached the end of the corridor, I looked at Sesshoumaru's expression. He hid it well, but I could tell he was as surprised and suspicious as I was.

The next room was decently lit, with a gold-crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was old-fashioned furniture everywhere – from soft-looking red velvet armchairs, to footstools that resembled the dog from 'Beauty and the Beast'. The hotel was designed to resemble the buildings of Chicago or New York City in the fifties, and even when I had been here as a child, it had still had an ancient air to it.

To our left, in the center of the room, we were met with the sight of a large mahogany desk. It was beautifully polished; no doubt it had been cleaned this morning, as it always was. Supplies were scattered around on the surface of the desk, creating an illusion of a disorganized master. I knew better. The man sitting at the desk had one of the most well-controlled and conditioned minds I'd ever met.

Faced with this reality, I steeled my resolve.

It was true; this man was _not _to be taken lightly.

But neither was I.

~Sesshoumaru~

The man that sat in the broad chair behind the desk had hair so brown; it looked black at first glance. It appeared to run mid-way down his back, and half of the mass was tied up at the back of his head, keeping his bangs out of his way. His eyes held a gleam that mimicked Miroku's; it was the look of someone who knew _far_ more than he would ever let on.

Naomi had been uncharacteristically quiet these last few minutes. I vaguely wondered why. She seemed to be lost in thought.

The man smiled and stood, his rolling chair sliding back easily. The chair itself was an obvious paradox. While every other inch of the hotel was modeled to reflect the chosen fashions of the time period, the rule apparently didn't apply to the five-foot radius that surrounded the desk.

After welcoming us, he invited us to sit down. Naomi seemed to be as reluctant to do so as I was. I noted that a slight look of hurt overcame his features when Naomi denied his invitation. This brought to life yet another question: was it possible these two knew each other?

Judging by the way they moved and looked at one another, I would say so. His look in his eyes gave me the impression that he was extremely happy to see her, even if she felt the complete opposite. She seemed to glare at like him like he was Al Capone and he just invited her to –.

"Tea?" A cart carrying the said tea was wheeled in at his words. I mentally face-palmed. This was just _wrong._

~Naomi~

I wasn't really surprised the guy was trying to stall; it wasn't out of the ordinary. It was one of the things I had always _hated_ about him. That might have been one of the reasons Genichirou pissed my off so easily; he reminded me of _him. _

I sighed; it looked like I would have to take the reins once again.

"No, thanks." I started. "We didn't come here for a tea party, Daichi."

I ignored the look of hurt that flashed across his face. He quickly masked it with a smile and sat in the nearest chair.

"No," He sighed. "I don't suppose you did." There was an undeniable hint of longing in his tone. He closed both his eyes and smiled, almost apologetically, at me. Again, this was ignored; I couldn't afford to be deterred.

I cut to the chase. "You know why we're here, don't you?"

"Well," he said with a melancholy smile, "You didn't come to reminisce and have tea." He sighed.

A pulsing vein appeared on my forehead. There would be _none_ of that. I was _not_ getting put on a guilt trip so late in the evening.

"We're _here,_" I started calmly. "Because we were told that you would have the directions we needed to find a demon that has supposedly been terrorizing these parts."

"A demon?" I could tell from his facial expression that he was playing the fool.

"Don't play dumb with me!" I hissed. "Where are the instructions?"

"Oh, you mean _those_ directions." He seemed to have tired of toying with my head. (More quickly than usual, I might add). "Right…Well, let me see if I can't find them for you."

He stood from his chair and began to stroll about the room, looking for something or other. After a moment, he turned back around.

"On second thought, you're better at these sorts of things, aren't you, Naomi?"

I sweat-dropped. "You've got to be joking."

He smiled sinisterly ad laughed. "Nope!"

I sighed. "How would I even know where to _start_ looking?"

He laughed again. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

Fighting my temper, I stood and noted with very little surprise that Sesshoumaru did not make any motion to help me search; surprise, surprise.

I closed my eyes in irritation and racked my brain for an idea of where to begin. I mentally filed through everything I knew of Daichi. What was most important to him? Where would he hide an important document from someone that didn't know him as well as I did?

Then it hit me.

_Light bulb…_ I thought evilly. Walking with a purpose, I strode to the desk and gently picked up a picture frame. The photo portrayed Daichi in the old days, sitting on the tree swing in the private central garden of the hotel, hair slicked back with his arm around the waist of his beloved wife, Marina. Their heads were close and they tilted their faces to look and smile at the camera.

Eyes softening, I turned over the frame to gently undo the clasps that held the photo inside. I didn't look back at Daichi; I was confident in my choice. There had been nothing more important to the Boss of the _Grand Marina_, than the memory of the woman that had been the inspiration for the name of the hotel. The only one that could have competed with the late Marina for a significant place in the man's heart was my mother, Daichi's younger sister.

I sighed. My late aunt had been a mediator of sorts for both of my uncles. While Ari was from my father's side, Daichi originated from my mothers'. Now that I think about it, they always seemed to be at odds with each other. So much so that they couldn't be in the same room with one another without tearing the others' heads off. It was always something about Daichi being a gangster of sorts and that my father had apparently not been good enough for his '_darling little sister'…_Not that either of the issues have anything to do with each other, but the two never got past having the people they loved most being stolen away and married to someone they didn't particularly approve of in the beginning.

Apparently, Mother had been quite the 'hell raiser' when she was younger. Then Father came along, soft-spoken and gentle, and showed her the peaceful side of life that she could have, if she ever desired. Gradually, she changed and is now completely different, albeit still extremely terrifying when angry.

Opening the back of the frame, I gazed upon what must be the instructions for our assignment. It was folded tightly many times in order to fit in the small space behind the photo.

Taking out the paper, I turned around to the sound of a person applauding. Since one of the only two people in the room was a stoic iceberg, I had a pretty good idea about who it was.

"_Well done!_" My uncle said. "You remembered!" He looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

He went on, "You _do _care!" Before I could stop him, his arms were around me and he whispered praise to the God I didn't know he ever believed in.

_Jeez! _I thought, aggravated. _What __**is **__it__ with people today and their sappy reunions! _

Shoving him off, I was thankful to see that he hadn't really cried, but he looked happy. Happier than I think I'd ever saw him.

"Go on," He said, gesturing to the envelope. "Take it. You've earned it."

I shook the letter gently. "Thanks, Uncle."

"You're related to the client?" I'd forgotten he was here.

Surprised, I blinked at him. "Oh, yeah." I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You didn't ask!"

Uncle laughed. "Now _that's _my girl! Gods, how I've missed you, my little niece!"

"Uncle, I don't know if you even noticed, but I'm not so 'little' anymore."

"So you aren't," He admitted remorsefully. "So you aren't."

I got back to the task at hand. "So all the instructions are in here?"

"Yes." He grinned. "Everything you need to know is inside that envelope."

Sensing our cue to leave, I nodded to Sesshoumaru.

"Do you mind if we stay the night, Uncle?"

"Oh, my dear, I wouldn't have it any other way!" He exclaimed. "Actually, there has already been a reservation for you from your employers."

Which reminded me… "So how _do_ you know the UI?"

He smiled fondly. "It might've been when I was about the age you are now…" He put a finger to his chin in thought. "I had a run-in with them a long time ago."

I sweat-dropped. That probably meant he had opposed them at one point. But then, there were very few people Uncle _hadn't_ opposed in his youth, one of them being my mother and aunt. (I wasn't too sure of anyone else.)

He then clapped his hands. "Well you must be tired. Would you like to check in?"

Although we hadn't really done much today, I was still exhausted. I sighed. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Good! You know where to go to get your room key."

I nodded, my fatigue nagging at me from the back of my mind. "Yeah, sure."

My Uncle smiled and gestured to the door. "Off you go then."

I turned around, hearing Sesshoumaru follow. I was surprised that Uncle hadn't wanted to 'catch up' as much as I'd expected.

I shrugged; I supposed I should just count my blessings that I wasn't going to be up all night reliving the events of my life over the last six years.

Little did I know that I would be up much of the night anyway, as it turned out.

**^^ *stretches arms above head* Phew! That felt good! I hope everyone enjoyed it! **

**Please feel free to review at any time! They are very much appreciated! ^^**

**Ja!**

**~White Jem~ **


	12. Eye To Eye

**Before I start:**

**I will reply to all the signed reviews personally, but to those who have reviewed, but not as a member…here you go! **

**2 Lines (): I'm so glad you think so! I do hope my writing gets better and better with practice! It DOES make perfect, after all! ^^**

**Now, without further ado, here you go! Enjoy!**

_**Title Explanation: (From the Goofy Movie by Tevin Campbell) As they become increasingly engrossed with the outcome of their first mission, they start to see things a little more 'Eye to Eye'.**_

_**I2I**_

~Naomi~

"_What?_" I hissed.

There was simply no possible way_…_But there it was.

And I could _**not**_ believe what I was hearing.

The desk clerk winced. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "There's only one room booked under the name 'Genichirou'."

"You have _got _to be kidding me." I said, laughing sardonically.

The boy, barely older than myself, answered, "I'm really very sorry. There must have been some mistake."

"Damn _straight _there was." I snarled, now mostly angry at myself.

_This is my fault. _I thought. _Serves me right for trusting that meddling old..._

The poor boy was still cowering behind the counter.

I sighed, addressing him again. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap; I mean, it's not _your _fault…" Though I still wished it didn't have to be _anyone's_ fault.

Sesshoumaru's voice piped in. "Funny, how many of the things you don't mean to do, that you do anyway."

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped. "Who asked you?"

"Miss, if you don't mind me asking…" The shy teen behind the counter began. "Are you two…_together_?"

My anger came rushing back. "_Pardon?_"

The boy blushed and looked away. "A-am I wrong?" He stuttered.

I slammed my hand on the desk. "The hell you're _not!_"

My temper receded a bit when I saw the look on his face; it was as if I'd slapped him.

I sighed, calming myself down. "Look, I'm tired; can you just get me the key and we'll be outta here?"

The edgy boy nodded and scampered off to do as I had bid.

I turned to Sesshoumaru in the boy's absence and leaned against the counter; I was exhausted. I just wanted to drop where I was and sleep, Sesshoumaru or no Sesshoumaru. Although preferably _without _him…

"And _you,_" I said, pointing a finger at him. "Don't get any ideas."

As I received the key, he scoffed.

Gathering the belongings that had mysteriously appeared in Daichi's office before we'd arrived, I headed to the elevator.

Now that we weren't sneaking around, I looked around and saw the place for what it truly was; a masterpiece, a true reflection of a 50's hotel by anyone's standards. It was similar to Daichi's office; red velvet chairs, crystal chandeliers, and authentic spiraling wooden staircase as well. Even the gold-plated doorframes of the elevators looked to be something pulled straight from an old movie.

We didn't speak at all on the way up to the floor just below the penthouse. Since the actual PH was occupied by Uncle, the next floor down was the 'special guest' quarters. Genichirou had spared no expense. I sighed. _That's _what I'd been afraid of.

Walking down the hallway to our room, I said to Sesshoumaru. "Let's get one thing _straight._ You stay on your side of the room, and I'll stay on mine. You do that, and nobody will get hurt."

"That's _quite_ a threat, coming from someone so insignificant." He sneered.

A vein popped on my forehead. "_What _was that?"

"Don't be so discourteous." He vainly ran a hand through his hair. "There are people sleeping."

I scoffed. "Ha! That's a good one! As _if_ you care!"

"Quiet down. We're here."

So we were.

Opening the door, I heaved a sigh and headed inside. Turning on the light, my stomach dropped to the floor.

_There was only one bed._

My aura flared, signaling my anger.

"What's your problem?"

I huffed. "Come see for yourself." I stepped out of the way.

He stepped forward, and saw the single queen-size bed. His expression didn't change.

He walked over to the closet, completely ignoring the bed all together.

"Well?"

"I don't understand _what_ you're getting so worked up over." He stated stoically. "Firstly, if you're so immature as to be thinking thoughts like such as that, then that dirty mind of yours will get you into trouble one day."

_Dirty mind?_ I was appalled. As if he was one to talk. If he could point it out, then_ he _had to have thought of it as well!

"Secondly," He continued. "What do you want _me _to do about it? It's not as if _I _booked the room. If you have a problem, take it up with the scum who set it all up."

"I _would_, but have you noticed how he's _never_ around when you need him?" I said, emphasizing with my hands.

"Indeed I have."

"Good. Then you see my point."

He sighed. "Just unpack your things. I _thought_ you said you were tired."

"I _am._"

"And yet you still have the energy to argue."

He had me there.

I grudgingly walked over and put my clothes in a drawer. Grabbing my toiletry bag, I placed the letter on the bedside table. We would be handling the assignment tomorrow, so there was no need for it this second.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth and hair, I walked out of the bathroom feeling much calmer. I entered the room to find Sesshoumaru sitting on the bed, reading a book. He had changed into something more comfortable, although it didn't seem like something that one could _comfortably _sleep in. Although, he was a guy, and a demon, so what did I know?

"Aren't you sleeping?" I asked, packing away my toiletry bag away once again.

"A demon such as myself has no need for such trivialities."

I sighed, too exhausted to argue. "Fine. Whatever. I don't care; do what you want." He continued to ignore me.

Rolling my eyes, I plopped down on the bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

~Sesshoumaru~

I didn't think she was tired enough to have really fallen asleep so quickly. I hadn't realized how pitifully fragile these insignificant humans were.

Although, I had to admit, (albeit reluctantly) this one really wasn't _so _bad. Sure, she's a 'major pain in the ass', as Inuyasha would put it, but her heart was in the right place. She often just goes overboard with her temper, which, Father would say, will be outgrown and replaced by maturity.

I wasn't holding my breath, though.

Looking over at the sleeping female, I was amazed to see how much more…_calm_ she looked when she slept. She seemed to be resting well, if her breathing and heart rate were any indication.

I hadn't been lying when I said that demons didn't need to sleep; we don't. We _can, _but it isn't really necessary. Not to mention, we would have to feel _extremely _comfortable around the people we slept or rested near.

Humans need to sleep because their bodies must recover from the stresses their daily routine has brought upon them. Our bodies heal as we go. We don't need to stop what we're doing for our systems to catch up; they heal fast enough so that we don't have to sleep to recover our strength. The only exception is when we are significantly drained of our normally plentiful energy, such as when we're injured, or something of the like.

I caught a trace of movement in my peripheral vision. I glanced over and saw my reluctant partner shivering. Her body convulsed as her system fought the chill that had innocently swept the room. I hadn't noticed how cold it had gotten; the girl must be freezing. Not that it mattered much, as I didn't particularly care for the human's welfare one way or another.

Turning back to my book, I was constantly distracted by the incessant shaking of my female companion. Giving up with an internal sigh, I rose from the bed and adjusted the cooling system, which had been on manual, but since sunset, the temperature had dropped significantly.

Returning to the bedside, I lifted my partner up from her place above the covers, where she had fallen. Supporting her with one arm, I opened the sheets and slipped her under. Her head shifted to rest against my chest. I again reveled at how peaceful she became when she slept. Reminding myself that this moment of peace wouldn't last forever; as soon as she woke, she would go right back to being the spitfire hellcat that I'd come to tolerate, I returned my mind to the task at hand.

Making to place her under the covers to protect her from further chills during the night, I stopped. As I had attempted to slip my arms out from under the girl, I froze, taking note of a previously overlooked detail.

The stupid girl was holding onto my shirt with a vice grip that could rival any demons'.

I figured I could pry her off without too much trouble, but then she'd wake, and destroy what was left of my sanity with her ranting on and on about trivial matters.

No, instead I straightened and walked back over to my side of the bed. After opening the covers on my side as well, I slipped in, taking the girl with me. She didn't struggle; she was out like a light. I turned over onto my side, I watched as she unconsciously got herself comfortable. Still keeping a death-grip on my shirt, she snuggled into my chest, savoring the warmth of another being.

Sighing, I gave any hope I'd had of getting _any _reading done regarding the new client my father had received. Father was (slower than I would have liked) letting me take over the company, little by little. I had been doing research on our new potential business partner, but I could see no further work was going to get done tonight.

Reaching behind my head, I flicked off the lamp that was on the bedside table. It had been the last remaining light in the room, so darkness enveloped the room at the sudden lack of light. Not that the dark bothered _me_ any. I could see just fine. It was one of the few things we had in common with those damn cats. I thanked any and all gods every day for that.

Taking one last look at the slumbering human female curled into my side, I realized how at peace I felt. Even in my own home, I normally didn't feel…well, at _home_ as I did with this silly hellcat around.

My eyes narrowed. Ridiculous.

Resisting the urge to yawn, I lay on my right side, and tucked my right forearm under my head, the other just above my hip, with the backs of my knuckles brushing the girl's stomach.

Listening to the faint sound of her slow, rhythmic breathing, I drifted into the most peaceful slumber I'd had in a long time.

~Naomi~

I awoke to warmth. Pure warmth.

The last thing I remember, before I fell asleep, was the temperature in the room dropping after _I_ had dropped. What seemed like a few minutes later, I was enveloped in a comforting heat that warmed me throughout the night; I had been so exhausted, I hadn't even _thought_ about opening my eyes to see what had happened.

Now, after a good nights' sleep, I was in a _considerably_ better mood today than I had been in yesterday.

Though not in _nearly _a good enough mood to not be upset at what I was to find when I opened my eyes.

~Sesshoumaru~

I awoke to the spiking of the female's body temperature. Had she gotten a fever from the chill last night? Had I not warmed her quickly enough?

No, a fever like that took time to develop; this had been instantaneous.

I opened my eyes, only to be immediately greeted by two twin oceans in a sea of red-hot lava; the girl was blushing so hard I thought she was going to rupture a blood vessel. That would explain her 'fever'.

To be honest, I was surprised at the time it took her to react to the situation at hand.

Even if she _had _screamed, it still would've been something I'd expected. So, I prepared for the next thing I _knew _she would do.

3… Her eyes widened even further, if that was possible.

2…The hands that had been curled at my chest only a moment ago, tightened in anger (or fear?). I couldn't tell which.

1…

She suddenly shoved away violently with what I assumed was every ounce of power she possessed. Obviously, it was more than I thought she had, because she went toppling off the bed as if Ihad been the one to push _her._ My hands relinquished her waist, and she fell off the side of the queen-size bed we had slept in.

The human woman scrambled up off the floor with more agility and grace than I knew she had. Her face was still a shade of red as vivid as her hair color.

Opening and closing her mouth a few times, she finally seemed to realize that nothing was actually being said on her part, which made her blush harder. She turned tail and ran into the bathroom after one last vicious glare thrown in my direction.

~Naomi~

After sprinting into the bathroom, I leaned heavily against the door behind me, feeling the part of a coward. I locked the door as a reflex and let myself slide to the floor.

I felt foolish for running and hiding like an idiot. I should've at least slapped the guy for his audacity in embracing me so shamelessly while I was in such a venerable state as I had been in last night. Or, if I hadn't resorted to physical violence, then maybe lecturing him would have done the trick. But, I suppose a verbal reprimanding would have done more damage than good, at this point.

I looked down at myself for a moment, reassuring myself that I hadn't lost any articles of clothing during the night.

Nothing had transpired.

I was positive Sesshoumaru would've said as much, too, if I had bothered to ask for his side of the story.

I sighed. _Like he would be caught __**dead**__ lying in bed with a human woman in his arms…_

My heart saddened slightly at that.

Shaking myself violently, I reminded myself that I didn't care who he did or did not sleep with, as it shouldn't concern me one way or another. This had just been an accident…a very _compromising_ accident, mind you, but an accident, nonetheless.

Sighing once again, I calmed myself. It was over now, and there was no way that I was going to be immature about this. I had to make my partner see that I could act beyond my years just as easily as he could.

With that thought in mind, I pulled myself up from off the floor. I breathed in deeply and opened the door, calmly walking back into our shared room. My partner had changed clothes and reclined on the bed, reading the file that I assumed he had stored the night before.

The way he acted, it was as if last night had never happened. I staggered at the conflicting emotions that passed through my mind at that point, one side being satisfaction and a pleasantly surprised feeling, and the other a slight undercurrent of disappointment. I struggled somewhat with the latter.

There was no missing his point, though. My resolve strengthened; if he was going to act as if nothing had happened, then fine. I could play that way, too.

I walked over to the bedside table nonchalantly, mirroring his indifferent manner. I reached into the drawer and pulled out the envelope I had received from Daichi.

Sitting on the other side of the bed, I opened the folder, peering over the folds of the open envelope. There was a yellow-tinted sheet of paper inside.

Pulling out the sheet of paper, I scanned the document.

I gave a sharp gasp and tightened my grip on the paper as my eyes widened.

Giving the contents another baffled once-over, I smacked myself on the forehead in exasperation.

~Sesshoumaru~

She walked out of the bathroom like nothing happened. It seemed she had given herself a reality check, and had realized that there was, and never had been, any chance of my being _ever_ caught dead lying in bed with a human in my arms.

I inwardly huffed, resuming the reading I had been doing last night before I had been interrupted, only to be disturbed once again.

A harsh _slap! _from my right made me look over to find the human hunched over, making an odd half-groaning half-sobbing noise, with a hand holding her forehead. It was very distracting. Only thishuman could possibly dream about distracting the likes of _me_.

I was about to ask what her problem was, but I held the words back; I figured she would tell me eventually. Or I would hear her raving to herself…whichever came first.

~Naomi~

I couldn't believe it.

I sighed. _Because nothing can ever be __**easy. **__Figures._

Straightening up from my pitiful agonized fetal position, I read again what the note said:

"_Veni, vedi, vici." – 3_

_Lqxor Txobelrpb 13_

I felt like a babysitter who was left in the dark about the 'little' things, such as the child's _major _case of A-D-D, and was just about ready to start tearing out her own hair.

I was no history major, but I knew the first line was linked to Julius Caesar. "_Veni, vidi, vici"_ refers to a famous quote of his that pertains to all his historical conquests throughout all of Europe. The guy was so brilliant in his strategizing that he conquered many territories without so much as a raised branch in opposition.

But what did the damn '_3'_ mean! It was driving me crazy!

I looked over at Sesshoumaru, who, despite his uncountable years of perfecting his stoic mask, looked like he was about to crack from irritation.

Good. At least it wasn't just me.

Finally, he looked over and snapped. "_What is it?_"

"This damned thing is giving me a headache!" I whined.

He held out a hand and demanded I give it to him. I obeyed. It would be just as well for me if he could figure it out himself.

After glancing at it for a moment, he murmured, "That's a quote from that human conqueror. Caesar, wasn't it?"

"I know _that_!" I cried. "What _I_ want to know is what the hell the three at the end means!"

Looking at it again, he spoke up. "You said that you are already acquainted with our client, and that you lived here before."

"_Obviously._"

"Then could this possibly have anything to do with what you learned here, all those years ago?"

"That's ridiculous!" I said, rolling over on my stomach so my head was stuffed in the middle of the pillow.

My voice was muffled. "The second line is a bunch of gibberish. It doesn't mean anything. I mean, come _**on**__, _'_Lqxor Txobelrpb 13_'? What's _that_ supposed to mean? The whole thing's meaningless," I turned my head towards my partner and rolled my eyes. "I mean, unless it was a sort of cipher or something…"

I sat up stock-straight as it hit me.

~Sesshoumaru~

She had it.

_Finally. _I don't think I would've been able to withstand the urge to lower myself into telling her to keep her thoughts to _herself, _instead of saying them out loud over and over, with nothing to show for it. 

Now she was busy at the desk, mumbling under her breath. Even with the background noise, it was relatively quiet, and for that, I was thankful.

Inwardly sighing, I sat back on the bed to see if I would _actually _get any research done today.

Just as I began to scan the document for the place I had left off on…

There was a loud _smack!_ on the desk to my right.

Again, I sighed. Apparently not.

~Naomi~

I had it.

I couldn't _believe _it had escaped me before. One of the main things that Daichi had always capitalized on was _cryptography._

It was simple when you thought about it. When I resided here when I was young, my uncle always made me take these decoding lessons from one of his most trusted subordinates. Obviously, this was a test meant to determine how much I had retained over the years.

The comment Sesshoumaru had made about the past rang a bell somewhere. I backtracked, and this is what I had ended up with.

Smiling, I reviewed my finished work. That done, I smacked the desk in satisfaction.

"I'm going to assume you've figured it out."

"Yup!" I chirped happily, as I leaned to the side to allow him to look over my shoulder.

"The first line was a reference to the type of code that was to be used." I began.

He simply stared at me, nodding for me to continue.

"The '_**Caesar **__Shift Cipher_' is a code that transfers the alphabet to the right 'x' number of times." I explained, not caring if this was review for him as well; I was just proud I had figured it out all by myself. "And –"

"– and the '3' refers to the number of times to shift the letters, correct?" he finished.

I nodded. "Mm-hm."

"So what does it come out to?" he asked.

"This." I held up the paper for him to take.

~Sesshoumaru~

_I _could've told her that it was the Caesar Cipher that she had to use. Of course that wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining. Plus, she would've taken it personally that I'd given her the answer. Better to let her get frustrated, give her a hint, and let her figure it out herself. That way, _she'd_ be in a better mood, and _I_ would get less of a headache.

I may seem cold, cruel, and uncaring, but I didn't see any reason why we can't _all_ be happy.

~Naomi~

As I scanned the document once more, I noticed a part I had missed. The writing was considerably smaller than the rest of the writing. It read:

_PLGQLJKW_

If my hunch was correct about what I thought the cipher was, then the alphabet shift should be three. I had written out the alphabet plainly. After that, I moved 'ABC' to the end, directly under 'XYZ'. From there, I worked from D – Z wherever there was space left over. Underneath the original 'ABC', would have been a 'DEF'. Underneath the normal 'XYZ' would also be 'ABC', respectively.

I worked out the last word I had found fairly quickly.

I sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. _Done. _

The note read like this:

_Otaru Warehouse 13 _

_Midnight_

I knew that Otaru was located in the northern-most part of Hokkaido, and that it was extremely proximal to the ocean. A seaside 'warehouse' for storage of transported goods wouldn't be uncommon at all. The number '13' would probably be printed in big letters across the side of the building. _That_ wouldn't be a problem.

As for the time of day, I didn't really like the idea of staying up until midnight to take in the demon that had been causing so much trouble. However, staying up late was obviously an occupational hazard of the 'Punishment Force', so I supposed that one sleepless night wouldn't be the end of the world.

_Then again…_ I yawned, although I had slept better last night than I had in a while, for whatever reason.

Focusing once again on the letter, I summed up the message, and with it, our assignment.

Basically, we were to go to Otaru, head towards the sea, find a 'Warehouse 13', bind and capture the offending demon, and bring him in, with all of it starting off at midnight…

It was Wednesday, and by the time this mission was over, it would be _very_ early on Thursday. And that was if we left tonight.

I stood up and stretched. It would feel good to be home again, although I had my doubts that the time would go as fast as I hoped it would.

I would just have to wait and see…

**Well, that's that! I hope you guys enjoyed, and please review if you liked! **

**I'll say that one more time…please R&R! You will really make my day! ^^**

**Ja ne! Until next time! **

**~White Jem~**


	13. Stand Out

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Tevin Campbell from the Goofy Movie) Sometimes people do some crazy things to get others to take them seriously.**_

_**Stand Out**_

~Naomi~

Later that night, after spending the day mobilizing for the mission, we set out. I had spent the majority of my free time to restrain myself from completely strangling my Uncle for his subtle nature.

He didn't do anything much more than hold his hands up in a sheepish apology while I shook him. He never lost that stupid grin that he always wore. Even when I was at my angriest, I knew he could never _really _fear me. Much like the way that I could never _really _hurt him for how he was; it was decidedly against my nature.

We waited until nine at night to head for the train. Before, at the hotel, I had used the computers to do some research on the distance from here to Otaru. Apparently, it was around an hour and a half from here if we took the train. But that was just getting to the city, and that was _assuming _that there were no mix-ups or delays, which there always were. From the station, we would have to find a way to the harbor, and then to the 'Warehouse 13'…

Sounds easy enough, right?

_Wrong. _

We did take the train, but we ended up getting delayed (as I knew we would) because of a baggage problem of another patron who _refused _to let anyone pass until she had her item that she suspected had been stolen from her carry-on duffel. Turns out, the item she had been accusing people of stealing had been right in the front pocket of her bag all along. The whole thing took more than 45 minutes, if you don'tinclude the time it took to actually getoff the train.

But for all my complaining, we did make it to the harbor by 11:00, with an hour to spare, but when we asked a worker where the 13th warehouse is, he insisted such a place didn't exist, despite all my best efforts to convince him otherwise.

"What do you _mean_, 'It doesn't exist'?" I hissed, shaking the man from where he dangled in my threatening grip.

"I'm tellin' ya, lady, tha' number ain't here!" He sputtered.

This was just _not_ my day.

"But it _has_ to be here!" I protested, resisting the urge to stomp my foot in annoyance.

Sesshoumaru, who had looked eerily calm throughout the whole ordeal, huffed at my antics. He intervened before I would start beating on the poor guy for something that wasn't his fault.

"Are you _certain?_" he asked, voice deceptively smooth as velvet.

The man was intimidated, nonetheless. He nodded quickly, his funny haircut flopping and he scrambled to convey his affirmative answer. "I'm sure!" He put his hands up in defense.

My partner swiftly turned on his heel and began to walk away.

"Hey!" I yelled, dropping the man and running to catch up, nearly beside myself in frustration. "We haven't found the place yet!"

Sesshoumaru didn't turn around, but he did stop. His serene response carried back to me, even though his voice was quiet and he was facing in the other direction.

"If he says it's not here," He said with a slight threat lacing his voice, probably brought on by irritation. "Then it's _not here. _We'll just have to figure out some other way to get to where we need to be."

Still frustrated, I followed, and we ended up at the closest numerical storage room to thirteen, Sesshoumaru leaning against the wall of the building, and me sitting with my feet dangling over the side of the pier. We both simply waited for an idea to come to us.

I brought out the directions that had previously been encoded. I stared at the reformed letters and wondered what they could possibly mean.

_Otaru Warehouse 13 _

_Midnight_

Again, the last line was understandable. It was obviously the time we were to be at the designated setting. The first line seemed to be the place, but if it wasn't here, then where could it be? Had we looked in the wrong harbor?

We had gotten ourselves in with mystified passes that Tatsuki had dropped off to Daichi prior to our arrival. After I had told Daichi I had figured his little code out, he had given them to me. Daichi had specifically said that their magic was designed to aid us into getting into _this _pier. Different companies had different symbols, and very few of them were actually on friendly terms with each other, and even less often were the ally companies next door to each other. There was no way to make a magical pass that let us into multiple harbors.

It _had _to be here. If not here, then where?

I looked once more at the paper, aware that we were running out of time. It was already 11:30, and we had yet to figure out where we were supposed to go.

_Wait…_

"'Warehouse…13'?" I said, confirming what I saw.

I had it.

~Sesshoumaru~

I had to admit, it had never occurred to me that the place we were looking for was an actual…_place_.

She figured 'Warehouse 13' was the name of an underground business that no one knew about unless they were directly involved. She also thought she knew where to find it.

The girl reasoned that it would be in the place nearest where its namesake would have been. So we searched the 12th storage house first. Even after coming up with nothing, my partner was nonetheless determined that it _must _be in the 14th storage house.

We wandered over to the 14th warehouse, but not before we spotted a strange human male lumbering in the same direction we were going in.

My partner's gaze whipped around to lock onto mine.

I didn't need her to put a finger to her mouth as a sign to be silent and tell me to follow. Even an idiot would've known what to do.

Shrugging it off, I followed the girl, who had silently trailed after the man, and waved at me to hurry up. I followed at my own pace; I didn't take orders from humans.

~Naomi~

I knew it.

After we had followed the man into the building we had been aiming to search, we found that there was a secret passageway under a certain crate; a spot that would be unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know it was there.

Creeping down after the strange man, we saw a light ahead.

Finally reaching the end of the dreary tunnel, we came upon a large crowd of what looked to be a bunch of gang members. Each was dressed uniquely, but there were some groups here and there that wore the same color bandana somewhere on their outfit, signaling they were a part of a certain gang. From what I already knew, this would cause chaos and violence more often than not.

I didn't need anyone to tell me that it would be trouble to draw attention to myself. All we needed to do was find our target, get him captured, and get the hell out of here.

One didn't need to look very far to see who the leader was.

He was, predictably enough, fairly tall and had long ebony hair. He looked like a gang member himself, although he wore no obvious color, symbolizing his position as a member of one gang or another. (Obviously, the guy was such of a big shot that he didn't _need_ to display his being on one side or the other to be safe and respected; he must be strong, at least among this crowd.)

That's when I saw the crates that were being wheeled uphill into the darkness of an open door on the other side of the room. It was crowded, but I knew he was our man, and I couldn't find it in me to look away. It was lucky I didn't; I witnessed all the proof I needed to take the guy in, here and now.

Before Sesshoumaru could stop me, I began shoving my way through the crowd, intent on the tall man that seemed to be making problems for both my Uncle _and _my employers.

~Sesshoumaru~

Seeing her disappear into the crowds' rough interior, I resignedly followed close behind. Who knew what kind of trouble she was capable of getting into…

Before I could get close, though, I saw a potentially disastrous situation unfolding in front of my eyes.

The little redhead had once again blasted herself, head-first, into danger without so much as a backward glance.

She weaved – no, more like _barreled _– through the crowd with her trademark hasty determination.

Personally, I would've preferred that we take a more…_subtle _approach. Although, I marveled at her ability to fly headlong into danger, and then afterwards shrug it off like it was nothing.

I sighed resignedly, and followed my partner, with only one though in mind.

_That trait would be the death of her one day…_

~Naomi~

I shoved my way through the crowd, earning some very nasty glares from what must have been the toughest men, demon and human, around.

Once I got within a few feet of the boss, I spotted a hook sailing about two feet above the men's heads, heading in my direction. Glancing to the side, I saw a large crate that would give me just enough height to…

A shiver of excitement raced up my spine.

Oh, yeah.

_This_ was gonna be fun.

Jumping on the crate without another thought, I sprang from it and grabbed the hook that was on its way back to the boss.

Swinging forward so the hook moved even more quickly, I gathered momentum as I swung backwards again, completely disregarding the open, shocked stares I was receiving from every man in the room that wasn't visually impaired.

Using the gathered force as I swung forward once more, I swiftly jumped off and kicked the Boss in the face, all in one quick motion. Landing hard on the floor, I adjusted myself quickly to make sure that my ankle didn't turn when the inevitable fall occurred; I would need it later. Bracing myself for the fall, I suddenly felt two strong hands on my shoulders, steadying me as I righted myself on my feet again.

He seemed to sigh. "You still haven't grasped the concept of _subtlety_, I see." He said resignedly.

I smirked and huffed, turning back to the Boss, who was currently getting up from the floor, holding and massaging what I was hoping was a very sore, bruised jaw.

"Why you little –" He started.

I waved off his oncoming threat. "Yeah, yeah, buddy, I know. I've heard just about every insult you could _possibly _come up with." I gave him a condescending glare. "So, unless you want me to make you look like a complete and total _ass, _I suggest you make both our lives easier and come with us quietly."

One of his cronies stepped in. "You can't talk to our Boss like that, ya little whore!"

A vein ticked on my forehead as I snapped my eyes over in his direction. "What'd you sa –? You know what, I don't even care." I put a hand to my temple and decided I was just too tired to be dealing with this.

"Whatever." I turned away from the crowd that had gathered and addressed the man who had just spoken. "Just make sure your 'Boss' gets his ass packed up quick, so we can leave."

The leader spoke up. "If you think, that we're gonna do what you say, just because you say so, then you've got another thing comin', bitch."

I sighed, and said in a monotone, out of habit more than real concern. "I'll give you one last chance to come willingly. Otherwise, I'll have to –"

I was cut off at one of the gang members in the crowd screaming and suddenly lunging at me from behind. I figured they would have the attention span to at least hear me out on the mandatory 'one-more-chance' line before charging blindly at me.

Sighing again, I calmly regarded him coldly from the corner of my eye as time seemed to slow. Giving his cronies the signal to attack before the enemy was even finished speaking.

I sighed. Such was the life of a criminal.

Briefly turning away from him, I spun in the opposite direction as I dropped to the ground, dodging the blow I knew one of them would throw at my seemingly undefended head. Simultaneously, I whipped one of my legs out from under me to knock the unfortunate guy's feet out from under him.

Seeing the henchman fall flat on his back, I quickly and gracefully rose and placed one sneaker-clad foot on the guy's chest. Giving him a scathing look first, I turned to the rest of the crowd before quirking my eyebrows up in a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Anybody else?" I challenged. Looking around, I made eye contact first with the leader, then scanning the crowd for another who wanted me to hand his ass to him.

I heard a shuffling noise that I realized was the gang's simultaneous movement to take a step back. I just couldn't see it very well from here because the only people I could see were the people in the front, who were blocked by the guys directly behind them.

Stepping off the felled man, I turned once more to the leader, ignoring the way my previous opponent scrambled away as if he'd been burned instead of thrown on his ass.

"So, how about it?" I questioned. "Ready to go?"

"Go…where?" He seemed righteously skeptical.

"Back to UI Headquarters." I said without thinking. After the words were out in the open, I wondered if it had been a good idea to tell him that. But then, I doubted he would've come with us willingly from the start, anyways.

A flash of anger crossed his face, followed closely by a mask of steadfast determination. I knew right then that he wouldn't make this as easy as it could've been. _Or as quick…_I added with a sigh.

I shrugged, but reluctantly settled back into a fighting stance. Sesshoumaru stood behind me, ready to do his part. I could sense that he wasn't pleased in the least with the way I had handled the situation, or the way we had come about being in the middle of it.

But we were here now. And ready to fight and drag this guy's sorry ass back to HQ.

~Sesshoumaru~

She was too reckless.

I knew that it would eventually be the death of her, if she kept up this thoughtless course of action. Her show of her mood jumping from one side to the other was….well, interesting, to say the least. She went from being bossy to indifferent, then back to her feisty self, leaning back into a ready, balanced position, waiting for the boss to come at her from any direction.

Suddenly, the boss stepped forward as everyone else stood back. It seemed that no one was stupid enough to interfere with a battle they had no doubt that he could win.

I glanced at my companion. _Well, at least she picked a battle that would at least make him want to be anywhere but here after she gets through with him. _

I readied myself to watch my human's back.

~Naomi~

And so the fight started. He would take a hit here and there, and so would I. It was still one on one, as none of his minions had stepped forward to help. Fair though it was, he was the criminal here, not me, so I didn't really trust that he wouldn't call in help if he thought it would end the battle any sooner.

I was fully prepared to do whatever it took to complete this assignment and get the hell home.

He was some kind of poison demon, I could tell. The poison wasn't as potent as the kind that I was sure that Sesshoumaru used, but it was still dangerous. Noxious vapors spilled forth from his body, filling the entire area. I had developed immunity to most poisons of this caliber, so I should've be okay.

Suddenly, I was shocked out of my analysis to find the boss coming straight at me with one of his gasses. It was a different color than the ones that were still wafting off his body. Staggering back, I realized that this toxin was much more dangerous than the kind used previously. It could potentially _blind _me.

The last thing I saw was Sesshoumaru's hand in front of my face as his own poison shot into my eyes, preventing anything but the color black to penetrate my vision.

~Genichirou~

My eyes widened at the image in the Sight Mirror. I couldn't believe that the dog had actually saved her. I mean, with the best healers in the universe at my disposal within a moment's notice, I'm sure that we would've been able to save the girl's eyes. But plainly, Sesshoumaru wasn't willing to take that risk with his little human.

I sat back in my chair, watching as Sesshoumaru finished up the job himself. He was restraining the demon with more ferocity than I thought was really necessary. I dispatched Tatsuki to pick up the perpetrator before Sesshoumaru changed his mind and just killed his captive.

Sighing, I cut the connection the Sight Mirror had with the living world and grinned.

That had been more interesting to watch than I had thought it would be.

~Sesshoumaru~

Her eyes wouldn't be able to take it.

As a mere human, her eyes and their protection was severely limited, compared to a demon's, such as mine. This demon's poison was nothing to me, but it would seriously hinder my human partner.

As a near S-Class demon, we high ranking A-Class demons are able to _control _the level and potency of their poison, if they are so gifted with the ability to create it in the first place. We can make it less harmful to our enemy, if we choose. (Which, being _demons_, we don't have to use that trick very often.)

I had seen the attack coming, and I had known that even if she hadn't been spacing out at the moment, my partner wouldn't have been able to do anything about the oncoming strike. The toxin would've invaded her vision and would most likely have left her sightless for the rest of her days.

I would not have that.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a wind demon; I couldn't just blow away the poison from her and be done with it.

But I did the next best thing.

Regretfully closing my eyes for an instant, ruing what I was about to do before I had even carried the action out. I quickly lowered the potency of my poison and shot it into her eyes. I had jumped in front of her, as to parry the blow I knew would be coming immediately after my partner's eyes were damaged.

Summoning my whip of light, I snapped it at the demon, with more force than really necessary. I was furious that it had to come to this.

Naomi would probably never forgive me for what I had done.

**I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**Review if you liked! It would really make my day!**

**Ja ne! ^^**

**~White Jem~**


	14. Take Me Back Home

**Replies:**

**Master sess: XD haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it! **

**XD haha, well, it's straight down to business. Hope you all enjoy! Plz R&R! ^^**

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Greg Raposo) You know you're truly in love with someone when they become your home away from home, and it takes nothing more than a look of understanding to 'take you back home'.**_

_**Take Me Back Home**_

~Naomi~

I was going to _die_.

No joke.

I was seriously going to take my last breaths. Right here, right now.

I could feel myself start to hyperventilate. I couldn't stop it. I had never been in _complete _darkness before. Even at night, in my bedroom, there was always the light below the closed door, or at least a color difference between the door and the open space below.

The shadows were closing in, and the worst part about it was: _I could do nothing to stop it. _

My hands reached up to cover my ears after I had frantically waved them in front of my face to make sure this wasn't an illusion. I even pinched myself. It took every ounce of the will I possessed to keep from screaming my lungs right up my throat and out of my body.

I had started to sweat and my heart was pounding harshly. I sank to my knees and tried to find the peace of mind to actually put my head in between them.

Realizing that trying to breathe slowly and calmly was doing virtually nothing to help me, my panic increased ten-fold; I was starting to feel nauseous.

As I tried to rock slowly back and forth, I realized how much of a coward and lunatic I looked like at this moment. Sesshoumaru must think I'm so pathetic. He must think I'm crazy, having a panic attack over something that was so trivial to him.

Unconsciously, I heard voices speaking around me. One was a deep baritone, from what I could make out in my pathetic state, and the other was calm, and slightly higher than the first.

_Hold…..let go…._

What the hell was _that _supposed to mean? Why would you hold on to something, just to let it go?

_...speak…._

Then I felt deftly muscled arms gently surround me in their comforting embrace. I heard the deep baritone whispering gently in my ear, softly assuring me that I was alright.

_Don't…..return…._

I felt tears well up in my sightless eyes. They didn't want me to come back? The tears slid started to spill down my cheeks in tiny, melancholy rivers.

That's when the person holding me, presumably the deep baritone, let out a low growl and proceeded to unleash a bit of their aura that snapped me out of my state long enough to hear what they were really saying.

_Don't give in. Return now. _

That stopped me. My eyes widened, although I could no longer see through them. I slowly nodded, knowing they would see it, even if I didn't.

My shaking stopped. I didn't feel as scared or alone as I had only moments ago. My body relaxed, and I felt the person holding me shift me a little so I was more comfortable. I sighed tiredly, leaning my head on what felt like the person's shoulder and closing my sightless eyes.

I was safe.

~Sesshoumaru~

Tasuki arrived very soon after I had captured our assignment. All his minions had fled, knowing he would no longer be in any position to buy their loyalty ever again. Tatsuki took him into custody, and told me to do something about the girl.

I hadn't the faintest idea of why she had gone into her fit. I smelled a tremendous amount of fear in her aura, but I couldn't understand why. After all, demons weren't nearly as susceptible to the eye defections as humans were, unless you were blind from birth or old age (which was still very uncommon).

Tasuki suggested gently coaxing the girl to snap her out of her state. Unfortunately for the girl, I didn't know much about being gentle, let alone how to comfort someone, and the little female was undoubtedly in need of such calming that I could not give her.

On the other hand, it was my doing that she was in complete darkness, however temporary it was. I grudgingly admitted to myself that I owed her enough to at least _attempt_ to bring her back to herself.

I purposefully strode forward towards the girl. She was still sitting with her hands clasping the opposite shoulder in a poor attempt to protect herself from her own fear.

And for some unfathomable reason, the sound of her panicked and ragged breathing made my chest clench painfully.

Why?

And more importantly, why had been all too easy into talking myself into this?

~Genichirou~

The little human fell asleep before Tatsuki could tell her to not blame Sesshoumaru. She should, after all, thankhim for not just letting her sight go to the dogs (no pun intended) _permanently._

It would certainly prove interesting to see how she would react when she found that her dog had hindered her temporarily to save her in the long run…

Leaning back in my chair once again, I relished the thought with a sly grin stretching across my face.

~Sesshoumaru~

Before leaving, Tatsuki walked both of us back to the hotel, where he assured me he would take care of our belongings. He told me that it would probably be best (and the least stressful) for the girl to sleep in her own bed tonight, and not in an unfamiliar place. I was told to take her home, if you could imagine anyone ever ordering me around.

I knew it would prove to be very problematic if we were to use the means of regular transportation; ie, the obvious stares that would be directed at us. As such, I decided to fly us home.

Although it was beyond me why I was so willing to go to so much trouble for this bothersome human female; she was brash, rambunctious, highly opinionated, hot-headed, and reckless to the point of being completely thoughtless. I didn't understand yet how I had unconsciously become somewhat attached to the girl.

Flying above the clouds and far from the prying eyes of the more nocturnal humans, my partner stirred slightly in my arms. She seemed to be unconsciously feeling the pressure of my aura, although I was doing my best to lessen the pressure. It was impossible to not exclude some sort of aura because I was using youki for our flight.

She opened her eyes briefly, and they met mine. Although I knew she couldn't see me at the moment, I still felt like she was eerily staring right through me. If I had been any sort of lesser creature, I would've felt a little put off by it.

Starting a bit as she realized that she could not currently visualize anything around her, she squirmed, on the verge of having yet another nervous breakdown.

I did the only thing I could think of; I cradled her closer to my chest, being as gentle as my demonic nature would allow. She tensed at the contact, but then she seemed to recognize my youki and calmed down. I growled low in my throat to soothe her further and coax her back to sleep.

It was more instinct than anything else, I had to admit, but it served its purpose. The little human closed her eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness.

All was calm once again in the sky that was delicately dusted by the stars that hovered above us. I sighed softly to myself. Looking ahead, I figured that we weren't far from the girl's home. I flew in silence, relishing the peace I knew was too good to last.

When we arrived at my partner's home, it was already after one in the morning. All of her family was asleep by this time, although I knew that she would have quite a lot to answer for when she woke up in the morning.

I almost smiled to myself at the thought.

After covering the human with her bedcovers, I left, quietly shutting the window behind me. I knew that her body would be experience some cold symptoms in the morning as a result of her immune system being destabilized by fighting off the effects of my poison, and there wasn't any reason to make the symptoms worse than they had to be.

I decided to stay and make sure she was alright, and, if she woke, pry the answers I desired out of her before we had to go to school in the morning. Levitating slightly to perch on the roof, I idly wondered if she had rested enough to be able to go to school tomorrow.

But then I had another thought.

_Why did I care?_

**Hey! I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter! ^^ **

**Plz review! It always brightens up my day to read all of your thoughts! **

**Ja! ;)**

**~White Jem~**


	15. When I Look at You

**NOTE: I would probably listen to the title song by Miley Cyrus towards the end, and you'll see why I named this chapter what I did. I know how many people bash her, but, in my opinion, this one's actually pretty worth listening to, I promise! **

**Enjoy! **

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Miley Cyrus) This song is about having someone that is so close to you that you feel that you could go to Hell and back with them, because that's how safe and protected you feel when you're with them. This person becomes your light when your world seems like it's falling apart. **_

_**When I Look At You**_

~Naomi~

I woke to a searing headache. Everything in and/or near my head hurt like crazy, almost as if I had been knocked senseless by an iron baseball bat.

Blinking groggily, I sat up and tried desperately to keep the world around me from spinning. I held my forehead in one hand and realized that I had almost completely forgotten the events of the night before.

At first glance, it would've seemed that I had slept a full day, because as I looked outside, I realized that the stars were still prettily scattered across the sky, with no indication of an impending sunrise on the horizon.

"So you decided to join the living." I winced as I recognized the voice. Sesshoumaru was perched on the side of the window, looking particularly regal and imposing in the silky moonlight.

I glared at him, realizing in the back of my mind that I should be grateful that I could do _that_ much. Then it all came rushing back. My newly recovered eyes widened.

_My God. _

With excessive difficulty, I managed to calm myself. Sesshoumaru regarded me from the window with an unreadable look on his face.

We stared at each other silently for a few moments. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore; I wanted some fresh air.

Deciding I wouldn't waste a second more of the peace I would have after I got to the roof, I quickly stood up. Although I wasn't surprised, I was neither prepared for the sudden wave of dizziness that made my world spin off its axis. I also surprised myself with the lack of panic of my descent into a halfway comatose state, as if knowing that my partner would catch me.

Strong arms gently wrapped around me and I let out a weary sigh. I could feel him settling his puzzled gaze on me.

I told him my desire, and after giving me a look that radiated disapproval, he consented, easily lifting me up into his arms and gracefully jumping out the window and, with the help of his youki, softly landing on the roof.

He gently set me down and I looked up at the sky that was uncharacteristically clear tonight, despite being in the middle of a very dense city. I could literally see every star, and the full moon was bright. The phase of the moon was a nice bonus; I hadn't planned it this way, but it was nonetheless very pleasing.

The wind stirred and toyed with my hair, soothing me with its feather-like embrace.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Sesshoumaru asked, as I heard him shifting behind me to lean on the pole of the line we used for laundry.

I didn't respond, simply staring up at the moon and stars, just enjoying the peace.

Sesshoumaru growled menacingly. "Woman, you try my patience."

I snapped my head around, and glared at him for calling my attention with anything other than my name. Sadly, the environment didn't allow me to stay angry with him or anyone for very long; the serenity was too contagious. Feeling the half-hearted fury drain from my consciousness, I sighed. I suppose he _did _deserve some sort of explanation.

Sighing, I prepared myself to launch into the unwanted memories and fears that I never thought I'd relive ever again. I looked up at the sky, hopelessly searching for some form of comfort in the cold, deceptively warm midnight scene.

"I never told you the reason why I was so reluctant to return to the _Grand Marina._" I began. I wasn't sure whether he'd understand or not, but he'd asked for the story of his own accord, so I wouldn't be able to tell until after I granted his request.

I could feel his eyes on me, urging me to continue.

"Well," I took another deep breath. "When I was younger – ten, I think – I had been staying at my Uncle's hotel for a few years. Of course, it was just for the summer at the time." I smiled softly at the memory.

"I used to learn all sorts of things, all of them very useful. You already know about the cryptography. I learned about climbing, deducing, and a lot of hand-to-hand combat."

Grinning, I continued. "According to Uncle, there were very few full-grown men who could best me at that point."

I chuckled. "Of course, hand-to-hand hasn't been the focus of my training for years; I'm not sure if that would still be the case now as it had been seven years ago."

Continuing, I said, "There wasn't a lot to do around the hotel as a ten-year-old, except the activities that went with my studies, so I usually played Midori most of the time. She was an old friend of the family, and Uncle wasn't really what you'd call _overly trusting_ with his young blood kin." I looked at the ground by my feet, thinking morosely of my hard-working friend.

I shook my head, getting back on track. "One day, I ended up going to a restaurant one night at a festival that was farther away than my Uncle would've liked. I was going with one of the few friends I'd had at that point, and we weren't going very far away, but I'd insisted that I'd had enough training to defend myself and my friend if I had to. Midori had been busy that night and my Uncle had been extremely set against it; he didn't like to have me out of his range of control and protection for very long."

I shrugged. "Something about his sister kicking his ass if anything ever happened to me…" I laughed bitterly at the thought.

"After we ate, my friend and I ended up getting separated, and I got a phone call from her saying that she'd just meet me a few blocks down from where we had entered the festival." I closed in tighter around myself and winced as I started to fully remember everything.

"I exited the festival and started to look for the street she had specified. I found it, and it indeed had been a few blocks from where I was standing. I started walking toward it when I started to feel someone following me."

I shuddered as the memories came crashing back, and I laughed humorlessly. "Now the thing you have to remember about this is that I was only ten at the time. That may not be a very plausible excuse for demons, but it is for humans. We don't mature as fast as you do, neither physically nor mentally.

I sighed. "I was stupid and arrogant. I hadn't known what I was getting myself into, and I hadn't been prepared for _anything_, let alone the worst that could've happened."

Clenching my eyes shut, I tried to protect my voice from the ascending threat of fluctuation; I would not allow my voice to waver.

"I started to hear and partially sense the people that were following me. Stopping at the edge of an alley was one of my biggest mistakes of the night by far.

I gave up fighting back the vivacity of the images flashing through my mind. "And after I stopped, the situation finally sunk in. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide."

"I blanked. It's the only way I can seem to justify my ineptitude that night. I simply forgot everything that I was ever taught in my multiple years of self-defense classes with my Uncle." I glared hard at the ground. "I always had doubts that he loved me at all, you know."

Again, I chuckled harshly. "It's true. I could never find the capacity as a child to stop and look around and really pay attention at the subtleties that often make up the enigma that is love. I see it now, though. As stern as my Uncle was with me at times, he always tried to protect me, no matter what.

I attempted to hold back the oncoming tears. "Whenever I went somewhere he thought would do me any sort of harm, he would always send a guard along with me, whether I was aware of it or not. I never regarded it as a _precaution,_ per say; it looked more like Uncle being protective of his own skin. At least, that's what it had looked like at the time."

"Uncle had hired the best money could buy for my training, and was more harsh than stern with my teachers, but he was always had a soft spot when it came to family. He wouldn't let any of the teachers be really rough with me in order to pound the lesson into me. Perhaps if we _hadn't _been family, maybe I would've been better prepared." I shrugged. "I don't know. And besides, it doesn't really matter what _could've_ or _might've_ happened. What really matters is what really _did_ happen."

"See, I even though I knew all the drills, and all the techniques, I didn't know how to _use_ them. I mean, I did, but I didn't…I failed to realize how difficult it would be to use them under the pressure of a life-or-death situation. All the people I had practiced on or with were all colleagues of my Uncle. They wouldn't hurt me. And even if they were willing to, they couldn't – or wouldn't – kill me."

I sighed. "I suppose that might've been my greatest shortcoming as a child; I never seemed to see how drastically a situation could change, based solely on the fact that the people attacking you could and _would _really kill you…" I proceeded to stare into space, completely forgetting my original train of thought.

Sesshoumaru spoke for the first time, pulling me back into the real world. "What did you do after you realized your situation?"

"Well, after my 'revelation', I tried to run – no, it was more like a sprint – as fast as I could in the other direction, my friend be damned. But by then the men had already gained on me and tore me from the deserted street and into the guttural, black alleyway that could've very well meant my potential demise."

Cringing, I trudged on, steeling myself from my emotions for the moment. "The vile scent of alcohol was so rampant; I couldn't tell whether it was actually from my oppressors, or the alleyway itself. They tore and ripped at my clothing that shielded my undeveloped body from their cruel, animalistic vision. I fought with everything I had, but in my panic, I couldn't stop to think of a clever way to get out of this predicament without losing my virtue. I was lost in the moment, and I mean that in the worst way possible."

"Suddenly, though, everything stopped." I furrowed my brows in an attempt to find the best way to describe that particular feeling. "The touching, the fear, _everything_, even the smell, just…disappeared. It was remarkable. I just can't find a way to describe the feeling that truly does it justice."

I shrugged once again. "I felt a tingling sensation for the first time and I panicked, not knowing what it was. The stress and the terror that stemmed from my present state of mind was the basis for what I did. And if I'm being completely honest, I lost myself entirely. I had no conscious control over what I was doing, although I'm sure on _some _level it was entirely possible for the animosity to have come from the urge I had felt, deep down, to beat the crap out of the bastards that tried to take advantage of me that night."

Shuddering, I trudged onward into the final stretch of my tale. "When I 'came to', so to speak, my attackers were on the ground, and they didn't look like they'd be willing or able to move from their spot in a long time. I did the first thing I thought to do; I ran. I sprinted like I should have done when I had first heard those terrible males coming up behind me. I didn't pay any attention to my undoubtedly ragged and tattered appearance; I didn't have the energy, or the will, to care. There were imposing storm clouds that came out of nowhere hovering menacingly above my head as I ran. After a few minutes of the threatening thunder, the dam broke, and the rain began to pour."

"Eventually I collapsed from exhaustion, laying on my side and curled into myself, and completely drenched. Now that I'm thinking about it, I didn't even stop to check if the men were even still alive or not…I didn't care, but it would've been the right thing to do. After all, they had been drunk (not that that's any excuse), but still, they might not have done what they did if they had been sober that night. They deserved to be arrested and severely punished for what they did to me, and/or any other girl they might have stumbled across that night."

I sighed wearily. "If it hadn't been for my newly uncovered spiritual powers saving me that night, I don't know what would've happened…" Shivering violently, I shook off the revolting thought.

After standing silently and listening intently throughout my whole tale, Sesshoumaru finally spoke up.

"What happened after you collapsed?"

"My Uncle himself found me, after apparently sensing that something had gone wrong. He carried me home and I woke to the bedroom that I always used when I stayed the summers. Uncle was furious at everyone; me, my 'incompetent ' teachers, and mostly himself. He, and Midori, I later found, blamed themselves for what happened, even though there was nothing they could've done to prevent it from occurring. Uncle yelled at everybody, but even at that age, I could tell it was mostly just out of self-anger, even if he was just happy to see me alive and relatively unharmed."

I sadly glanced at the ground, pondering the events of the morning after. "I never found out what happened to my friend that I had gone to the festival with. I had just watched my Uncle from afar that morning, and he never knew I had woken until after I had left. I don't know exactly why I felt the unspeakable urge to run and be by myself after that traumatic incident, but I did. I grabbed what belongings and money I could, and left before anyone realized I had woken up.

"I eventually found myself back home, after I had exhausted the desire to travel alone. The impulse was strange in itself, considering that the whole event had stemmed from my stubborn hunger for independence to begin with."

I heard Sesshoumaru step up behind me, close enough so I could feel his strangely comforting warmth. His nearness had the weirdest effect on me, and I did something I never thought that I would _ever_ do in front of my stoic demon partner.

I started to cry.

I felt, more than heard him lean down behind me, catching me as I collapsed backwards from exhaustion. Turning to face him, I buried my face into his chest, sobbing and draining my eyes of all the salty fluid that I was sure was overwhelming Sesshoumaru's senses as I did. I didn't care, though. I just wanted – no, _needed_ – to be held, if only for this moment. He made me feel safe and protected, even though I knew this compassionate streak of his was not likely to last very long.

Again, I didn't care; I held on.

!#!

And so the flame-dusted wolf came out from the lonely interior of her den, wearily approaching the canine that greeted her outside of her long-time sanctuary. At the dog's initiative, they touched noses just as a beautiful, white dove flew high above their heads.

And if you looked closely, behind them, in the clouds, one could surely see a distinct humanistic silhouette of two people grasping the others' wrist in a trusting, comforting gesture of unwavering support for the other in all the days yet to come for the both of them.

**Hey guys! Srry 4 all the LONG paragraphs, but it was a very important confession scene and it needed to be done (XD haha)… That aside, I hope that the chapter wasn't too choppy or too…idk… **

**I hoped you guys liked it! Plz review and tell me your thoughts! It would REALLY make my day! ^^**

**Ja, everybody!**

**~White Jem~**


	16. For Good

**A/N: I hope, if nothing else, that you all enjoy the chapters I've put up so far! And please don't hesitate to tell me if there is something you'd like to see happen or take place in the story. **

_**Title Explanation: (Artist: Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked) This song is all about meeting someone that you don't really get along with that well, but you come to see them as a true friend, or at least someone you can learn from in their experiences. This is just about being changed, not necessarily for the better, but being changed 'For Good'.**_

_**For Good**_

I walked out the door the next morning feeling worse than I had in a long time. Of course, I'm really only speaking of my physical condition. Mentally, I felt as fit as a fiddle.

After my confession, (and waterworks display) with Sesshoumaru, I (mentally, at least) felt cleansed and rejuvenated. Ready to take on the world. That was, until I had woken up this morning feeling once again like I'd had an abusive relationship with the concrete beneath my feet.

I thought about the night before. I had been very long-winded, which I wasn't very happy about, but Sesshoumaru hadn't said anything, so I didn't worry too much.

Looking at the ground, I once again recalled the next few days after I'd left the _Grand Marina. _I had wandered around for a while before I headed back home. I went to a secluded part of the mountains not far from Kyoto to find out exactly what had happened. I had never seen a priestess before, let alone heard of one that was as powerful as I apparently was. I focused for the next few weeks on perfecting my control over a small fraction of what I could unleash.

I eventually worked up a resistance to the power that had intoxicated me that night.

After I had maintained virtually flawless control over my power, I headed back home. My mother was, needless to say, on the verge of hysteria. My father was furious, and I had received the lecture of my life. It had been worse than the one I had gotten this morning because of my strange disappearance, so no worries.

Back to the present, I was unexpectedly overcome with a startling wave of intense vertigo. I staggered over to the nearest extinguished streetlight and placed a steadying hand on it, with the other going to my forehead in exhaustion. I sighed; I _really _didn't want to go to school, but it wasn't like I was contagious, and besides, I had too much make-up work as it was. I wasn't planning to make it worse by taking another day, especially if I didn't need to.

Suddenly, I felt a large, clawed hand on my shoulder.

"You should be careful." He said. "If you keep staggering around like that, people will fall under the impression that you've become weak because you

caught a little cold."

I leaned even more of my weight on the pole. "Save it…" I sighed and felt my posture slip a little more as I slumped. "Just…save it…"

"If you're really that exhausted," Sesshoumaru said. "Why would you not think of simply staying home and regaining your energy?"

I thought about telling him off with the explanation I had just given myself a few minutes ago, word-for-word, but I was just too exhausted to stay angry at him or anyone else for long.

I laughed bitterly. "Any energy I gained by resting today would just be ciphered tomorrow anyways… with all the work that I'm _sure_ has built up for me, I won't have another moment's rest for a week!" I whined.

"Hn."

He removed his hand from my shoulder and continued on a couple steps, stopping a few feet away. (I presumed this was because he wanted to still be within the limits of his demonic speed to catch me if I happened to start to swoon again.)

I steeled myself to remove most of the possibility of that happening again. Recently, it wasn't so much that I didn't trust him, but that I had too much pride to carelessly let it happen in the first place.

Internally shaking myself, I carefully but steadily strolled towards my partner and we walked to school side-by-side.

After walking a few more blocks, we finally came within sight range of the Academy.

The school had been running for just over two hundred years, and had been standing even longer than that. Rumor had it that the Main Office and the Counselor's Office (which were adjacent to each other) had once been the barracks for some military organization in the mid-1700s. It was apparently very legal, but many were against such a group at the time. Consequently, the group leaders and their families were driven of the estate and it was given to a man that had headed the whole incident. Time passed, and eventually the Headmaster's duties were given to my Uncle, who had applied for the job a few years ago.

It was my understanding that he actually _liked _his job. You really couldn't tell by looking, especially if you weren't family, but I could tell. There was a certain glint to his scowl (if _that_ makes any sense) when he helped a new student find their classroom on their first day of school. A _happy, _self-satisfied glint. Like he didn't mind helping a lost student just for the needed feeling it gave him. When I saw him like that, it made him almost seem…_human…_

I chuckled to myself at that, making my partner look at me in the corner of his eye as if questioning my sanity. Faintly rolling his eyes, he looked away again to gaze at the oncoming day ahead of us.

We entered the front gates of the Academy without any further delays, and headed to the steps leading into the school, with me desperately trying not to lean on my demon partner for support.

Barreling my way through another wave of staggering dizziness, I heard a commotion to our right. Sesshoumaru must've heard it long before I had, but had chose to keep it to himself. Briefly glaring at him before lightly smacking his arm, knowing he would know what it was for, I started over to the source of the decorum.

I had to fight to keep from staggering, because without Sesshoumaru's aura so near, I had less power to draw upon to keep myself upright. I started to wonder whether I should turn around right here and just ignore the conflict. But no, I thought, this was my responsibility as the niece of the Headmaster, as well as my class' representative.

Hearing a yelp from within the interior of the crowd, I quickened my pace; hoping Sesshoumaru would be right behind me. I didn't check to make sure, but mostly because any snapping around would surely lead to a highly unwanted state of unconsciousness.

I quickly broke through the mob to find a nameless first year cowering before a seemingly mindless Naraku. My classmate was beating on the poor boy like his own life depended on it.

"Naraku." I spoke his name quietly; I didn't have the energy to yell as I normally would have.

He froze, thinking it was a soft-spoken teacher, but then, recognizing the voice, he relaxed somewhat, although he was still on his guard. It seemed I had earned myself quite the bloody reputation that I had no idea existed.

I sighed. "I would appreciate it if you put him down. _Gently._ " I said, voice still soft, referring to the first-year that was still hanging from his fist.

He looked back at me, as if to confirm my identity, and frowned. "You look like hell."

Despite my state, a vein throbbed in my forehead. "If you are in your right mind enough to determine something _that_ obvious, then you'll also notice that I am in absolutely _no mood _for your little psycho games." I added a too-sweet smile in for effect.

He flinched at that, although he quickly recovered and tried to save face. "Why don't you try to _make me_, miss high-and-mighty? Don't forget what you are, little human."

I opened my mouth to rebuke him, but a familiar voice beat me to it.

"This 'little human' could kick your worthless hide into the next century, if she chose." Sesshoumaru said, coming up behind me, arms calmly folded across his chest.

Naraku stiffened even more at the sight of him. I wasn't in peak condition, but even _I _could feel the murderous energy Sesshoumaru was giving off, and of his own free will, no less.

I was grateful to him for coming to my defense, but honestly, I could stand up for myself, even sick as a dog though I was. I mentally shrugged. I would scold him later. With all the ruckus Naraku was causing, I was surprised that an instructor hadn't come out and asked what all the commotion was about. We had to wrap this up _before _I had to explain why an unfortunate first-year was all banged up and _why _I was around and did not help… Nope, that wouldn't help my migraine at _all. _

A resounding _thud_ brought me back to the real world as I watched Naraku relinquish his iron grip on the boy's shirt. The first-year fell to the ground and perpetrator fled, leaving the gathered crowd disperse as I glared their way.

Rubbing my temple with one hand, I made my way over to the still nameless first-year, who had remained on the ground where Naraku had dropped him.

I knelt to look the boy in the eye.

"Hey," I asked gently. "You okay?"

"Why do you care?" The boy sniveled, seeming on the verge of tears, now that there wasn't anyone here to witness it. "Aren't you that girl that didn't want us here in the first place?"

I was stunned. "You know about that?"

He scoffed. "_Everyone _knows about that. You know that's 'cause," he said. "_Nasty_ news travels especially fast."

I sighed. "You don't have to worry." I said, sparing a fond glance over my shoulder at my favorite dog demon. "I don't feel that way so much anymore." Turning to look at the boy, I said, "Now, what's your name?"

He looked surprised by my words. "Kyo." He said softly, a blush lightly dusting his cheeks. "My name is Kyo."

"Well, Kyo," I smiled. "The bell's about to ring. Do you want me to help you find your class?"

He quickly shook his head. "N-no, it's okay…I can make it there fine by myself."

I shrugged. "Alright, if you're sure…"

I would never admit it, but deep down, I was _relieved _that he said no. Even with my normally off-the-charts self-esteem, _I _wasn't even sure I could make it to my _own_ classroom, let alone Kyo's as well.

After bidding farewell to Kyo, Sesshoumaru and I walked the rest of the way to our first class with no problems.

That is, until we actually _reached_ our first hour.

I could sense trouble the moment a stepped into our homeroom. That, or I just noticed the vindictive glare Kagura was shooting at me from across the room. She sat at her desk with several of our classmates surrounding her. We appeared to have interrupted what they had been talking about by simply walking in the room, which lead me to one thought; they were talking about _us. _Or probably me, knowing Kagura and her mind games.

I suspected she had a crush on Sesshoumaru, who followed me into the classroom, looking as cool, calm, and composed as usual. This was further confirmed when I caught her gaze settle on him and saw the thought whizz past her eyes. _What's __**she**__ doing with him?_

Well, I couldn't exactly tell her that he was my new partner-in-(stopping) crime, now could I? Her eyes met mine, and she purposely turned away from us, and chattering away about some new rumor she was going to spread about us to her little groupies.

I sighed. I couldn't change what she thought, or what illusions she had about me and my personality. All I could control was how I acted, which, in turn, controlled what she could use to throw back in my face. Besides, I knew she wasn't _really _all that malicious. It was just what she did to get by, to protect herself. In all the time I knew her, she had never physically _hurt_ anybody, but then, I'd always been around to break up any trouble she might've caused if I hadn't been around.

I didn't blame her for how she acted, though. Apparently, she had some 'at-home' issues. What they were, I didn't know. In case you hadn't guessed, we don't really talk that often, and when we did, it _never _became that personal, on either side. I suppose it was a silent agreement the two of us shared. Yet another piece of evidence to prove that she wasn't all she appeared to be.

"What are _you _looking at, Tomo?"

I hadn't realized I had continued to stare in her direction until her voice cut through my consciousness. Flinching at the tone of her voice, I prepared to mentally correct myself. If she hadn't harmed anyone before, that might change today. She looked _livid. _

Getting up from her seat, she made her way over to us, a menacing scowl marring her face.

"You think you're so high-and-mighty, just because you came in with Sesshoumaru?"

There was the vein again. That was the _second _time today I had basically been called an arrogant incompetent. And again, I was in _no mood. _

"Kagura," I said softly, hoping it would have the same effect on her it had on Naraku, and make her back off a little. "I'm not feeling the greatest today, so if you wouldn't mind?" I started to move past her, but she once again stepped in my way.

Something must have happened. She was always...bold, but rarely _looked _for a fight.

By this time, the classroom had gone silent, and Kagome, Sango, Akira, and the rest, moved to stand behind me, sensing the impending confrontation.

"Well, isn't _that_ convenient?" she sneered.

"Kagura, not now." I pleaded. "Please."

Her face shriveled in on itself for a moment and she moved to shove me. "Bitch!"

At that moment, I saw black spots cloud my vision. Before Kagura could even touch me, I staggered back as if she had. Sesshoumaru caught me, but the damage had been done.

My friends quickly shifted in front of me, shielding me from the shocked-looking Kagura.

_Great. _I thought. _Now she's going to think I tried to set her up. _

Sango looked about ready to rip Kagura a new one for even daring to come near me. The whole situation was just screaming _time bomb. _

Quickly, I staggered out of Sesshoumaru's arms, muttering my thanks before springing to Kagura's defense.

I stood in front of her, arms splayed and a pleading look turned to my friends.

"Guys, please." I repeated. "Not my first day back, okay?" I closed my eyes in a sheepish plea.

"But –!"

"Please? She didn't mean it." I was met with disbelieving stares. "Serious."

I sighed. "I'm sick, okay?" It killed me to admit it. "I just got dizzy for a second."

They looked at each other, then at me.

"Honest." I said, crossing my heart. "She didn't touch me."

They relaxed. "If you say so…"

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I didn't have to deal with someone else's brawl this early in the morning, and that also went for any fight _I _was involved in.

"What's going on in here?" Our teacher walked into the classroom, probably wondering what all the noise was about.

I sighed. _And only 300 seconds too late to matter…_

It was silent for a moment, and then Kagura spoke up:

"Tomo and Sesshoumaru started it!" She declared, and even if he didn't believe it, the teacher had to take her word for what it was worth.

"Well," he started. "If the fight is so important to the three of you, you can stay after school and battle the _dust _of my classroom."

Sango's head snapped to Kagura. "Why you –!"

"And you can join them, Ms. Taija, if you so choose."

Sango looked to me and I shook my head. At my signal, she backed down.

I was sure Kagura wouldn't go out of her way to make sure the three of us had to stay after school; she had a life too, which led me to believe that she wanted this punishment from to be a cover for something.

As for what _that_ was, I figured I'd have to wait and find out.

After school, I endured the searing headache I had developed and cleaned the classroom along with Sesshoumaru and Kagura. Luckily, you don't have to imagine either of them doing housework because there really wasn't much to clean, and on top of that, the teacher let us off early on the basis that 'no one will know'. I know, stalker much?

Sesshoumaru looked as if he was going to offer to walk me home, but I just told him to wait at the gates, if he didn't mind. Apparently, he didn't, because he left soon after. I also suspected that Kagura wanted to talk as well, seeing as her eyes kept darting towards the door and then back to me, looking like she was in some sort of prison than on cleaning duty.

Seeing that my partner had left, I stood from the desk I had been using, and quietly walked past Kagura and to the door, knowing she would follow. We both knew that her pride as a demon would prevent her from asking me into the hall herself.

Even though she had been the one to pick the fight, I knew she was hurting much more right now than I was, if only because I would've actually had people at my back if the fight had really become physical_._

Once we were in the hall, Kagura refused to look at me. I suppose now that Sesshoumaru was presently absent, all pretenses were down and she allowed me to see a fraction of who she really was inside, someone who just wanted true…loyalty.

"Look, I –." She started. She flushed a deep shade of red; this was obviously pushing the limits to her pride.

I shrugged, about to tell her it was okay, and that it happened to anyone, but then a thought hit me. "I – You know what? It's _not _okay."

She stared back at me incredulously, as if wondering what I could possibly want that she could give me.

"I won't forgive you for picking a fight with me, out of the blue…" I winked. "_Unless_ you tell me what had you so irritated to begin with." I smiled, hoping this would make her more inclined to open her mind to me.

It did.

"I – well…" she stuttered; I could tell this was hard for her. I forced my expression to soften to the point of indifference, and leaned inconspicuously back on my heels, letting the girl have her space.

Just then, two male students who must've been helping out a teacher as well walked past us. As they turned around the corner, one of them didn't clear Kagura, and bumped her in the shoulder. They muttered an apology, but didn't turn to see if she was alright.

Kagura didn't move at first, but as soon as they were out of sight, she slumped. I rushed to brace the collapsing girl, and I made it just in time.

Her face was scrunched in the ugliest face I'd ever seen the woman make. She was clutching her left side, and I shoved her shirt out of the way to see what had happened.

What I saw made me gasp unabashedly and cringe as I realized the likely cause of such an injury.

A large, fresh bruise covered the whole left side of her ribcage. The guy must have forced her arm to press too hard into her side, overwhelming her with excruciating pain.

I set her against the wall, debating whether or not to take her to the nurse; the woman would want to know the same thing I was thinking: "Sis this happen the way I think it did?"

Contrary to popular belief, Kagura didn't have boyfriends; she had _dates. _Which meant, either this was the result of some poor soul who thought that Kagura was going to make an exception for them, or she had gotten this from a place far more…familiar.

"Kagura…" I started. But really, what was I going to say?

"Just stop." She said. "Just _shut up._" I think she intended for it to sound within her normal character, and not like a desperate plead for understanding, which is what she ended up displaying to me anyways.

"You don't understand." She choked, her hands clutching the collar of my uniform like a lifeline. "_No one_ understands." Her eyes, which had initially only portrayed sadness, now showed a heartbreaking weakness that the girl was too afraid of rejection to show anyone.

My eyes softened. I _did _understand. I knew what it felt like to have to hide your fears because you thought no one would understand, or would take advantage of them.

I sighed softly, and waited for her to continue.

"You were always backed." She said. "No matter where you went, or what you did, you were always respected by those around you; you never had to worry about those closest to you turning on you when you least expected it."

She let out a heart-wrenching sob at that.

I felt indescribable sympathy for the girl, but I wasn't sure my reassurances were the ones she wanted to hear.

Still, I moved to comfort her in some way, but she snapped at me before I got two inches from my previous position.

"Don't!" She spat, slapping my hands away. "I don't need your pity!"

I gazed at her for a moment, then said, "Haven't you ever heard that there's a difference between pity and _compassion?_"

She looked up, sniffing as she did so.

I searched her eyes, and saw that she obviously hadn't.

"Pity is an emotion that people feel when they feel sorry, but have _no_ intention of doing anything to help the person." I explained. "They either can't help or won't help. It's that simple."

Kagura looked confused, so I decided to elaborate.

"Compassion is the opposite, and it's what I'm feeling right now; I want to help, and I think I can, if you would tell me how and when you would have me do so."

She still looked unsure.

"Kagura, please." I said. "Let me help?"

As I watched, several emotions from both sides of the spectrum appeared to pass across Kagura's face. Shock, understanding, gratitude, and shame were among the plainest of the lot.

"You would – really? – but…why?" She asked. "I've never been anything but a bitch to you and the others."

"Because I _do_ understand. Everything." I assured her. "And I'd like to help support you, if that's okay."

She gave me a questioning glance.

"And I'm sure if you asked, the others would agree just as readily." I smiled. "I think you've _always _had people you could trust, you just couldn't see it!"

I opened my eyes and softly said. "You're not alone. I know it's hard sometimes, but if you can suffer through, you might find not everything is as it seems." I grinned and continued. "And who knows? You might find some life-long friends along the way."

Kagura seemed to think it over. After a few dizzying moments (literally for me), she took my wrists and stood up, pulling me along with her. Squeezing my hands once, she nodded and turned, starting to walk away.

Now, most would've pined uselessly for a grateful speech, or at least a 'thank-you' of some sort, but I knew better. And besides, I like to think I am beyond wanting things like that.

Running back over my thoughts, I surprised myself by thinking along those lines at all. A week ago, that _certainly _wouldn't have been the way I would've thought about this. I probably might've done something incredibly immature. But since I met Sesshoumaru, things had changed. This incident, coupled with the scene with Kyo this morning, made me re-think this whole 'dominance' thing…

Maybe it wasn't as important as I had thought to be in control all the time. There might be room to just 'go with the flow', so to speak…

"Hey, Tomo."

Kagura's voice snapped me back into reality.

"I – Well, I think I know how to fight back now…" She started. "So thanks, but your help won't be necessary." She finished with a smirk and then turned on her heel and strolled back down the hallway, fixing her uniform as she went.

Okay, so it wasn't a moving speech. But the 'thank-you' had been there, so that was something.

I smiled to myself.

_Yeah…it's a start._

**Okay, so I know that must've been…(what's the nicest way to put this…) …spastic? I mean, I was jumping around from place to place, I was planning to put a fight scene in there somewhere, then I decided to pull it out, and now I've got a soap-opera on my hands…Don't worry though, it'll all be over soon…**

**XD lol Again, not stalker-ish at **_**all**_**…**

**Aside from that, I suppose I'll let you all draw your own conclusions from there!**

**R&R plz! They make me very happy!**

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**~White Jem~**


	17. Smile Bomb

Hey guys, SOOO sorry I haven't updated in a while, life was kinda steering me in a different direction. But my inspiration is back, and I'm ready to roll! I will try to update as much as I can, and I won't make a schedule for it, but I haven't abandoned the story.

Lol Let me say that again:

_**I have NOT abandoned this story!**_

XD haha that was for all of you who normally don't read my rants at the beginning and/or end of each chapter!

Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

_Title Explanation: (Opening for Yu Yu Hakusho) Kagura just needs a friend!_

_**Last Time: Kagura's voice snapped me back into reality. She had pulled herself together and had stood from her place on the floor. **_

"_**I – Well, I think I know how to fight back now…" She started. "So thanks, but your help won't be necessary." She finished with a smirk and then turned on her heel and strolled back down the hallway, fixing her uniform as she went. **_

_**Okay, so it wasn't a moving, heart-felt speech. But the 'thank-you' had been there, so that was something. **_

_**I smiled to myself.**_

_**Yeah…it was a start. **_

_**Smile Bomb**_

Much like Kagura had done, as soon as she was out of sight, I sighed wearily and swooned, letting the wall behind brace my weight.

Running a hand through my long, flaming hair, I pondered what had just happened. I knew for a fact that Kagura was sincere in her displayed longing to belong to something, and I mean _really_belong to something_._Not the shallow feeling of belonging, thekind that makes you feel as if you're walking on air.

I turned on the wall so I was facing my right. From the corner of my eye, I spotted movement. I looked and found what must be an art student painting what seemed to be an old project, still a work in progress.

Finding a door, still open because the janitors hadn't locked up yet, I strolled with difficulty through the thickening haze that clouded my mind towards the still nameless boy in the yard between the two buildings that made up the educational section of the Academy.

The portrait was reminiscent of cat falling out of the sky. The feline was a lighter brown, and that in itself was branded the cat symbolically as a neutral party, but that wasn't the most interesting part of the canvas.

In the midst of the fluffy clouds that outlined the cat, there were two figures heading towards it, with one in the lead, the other not far behind. The second figure was being worked on by the student, who had yet to notice he had an audience. The first shadow was already finished, and I was startled to see that it was a golden eagle.

Proud, graceful and fiercely loyal, the eagle was one of the most fitting entities one could relate to someone's undying devotion to another. The beautiful creature was flying towards the feline as if to attempt to catch it. The second figure, which I had deduced to be a canary, a notoriously harmonious bird, flew after it frantically, almost as if to offer assistance to the eagle in the rescue of their unlikely ally.

"You're… Naomi, right?" A small voice inquired.

I turned my gaze to the artist who looked to be a freshman.

Grinning sheepishly, I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed that my reputation seemed to have proceeded me.

I laughed. "I suppose word travels fast, huh?"

Reverting back to myself, I looked into the plain but incredibly insightful eyes that could only be held by an artist such as himself.

He nodded, but didn't verbally respond as he turned back to his canvas.

Taking my hand from the back of my skull, I asked, "Was this a dream of yours?"

He looked stupefied. "How did you –?"

I shrugged, chuckling. "Just a feeling."

The boy nodded, but didn't say anything else.

Sensing his imminent shyness, I pressed on, "What do you dream about?"

He shrugged. "I normally don't dream about much in particular, but over the summer, things changed." he said. "They've all been similar, but this specific dream has been coming to me every night for the past week, just before school let in." He drifted off, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Never before that?" _Why__now,__then?_I thought, letting the last part of my question remain unspoken. "What's this one about?"

He shook his head, indicating he had no idea. I didn't blame him for that, because he really _wouldn__'__t_have any idea what the dream meant unless he was me. The simple reason being that the dream looked a little too suspiciously like my own feelings as of late, what with the guys transferring into the Academy for the first time. I now started to realize that my feelings about my current emotional situation had undergone a significant change within the past week. Even during the mere seven days, the shift in morality had happened slowly. So slowly, in fact, that even _I_was unaware of my own mind's happenings up until now. I wasn't sure how I felt about the change yet, but I _was_certain that it was going to cause me a fair bit of trouble.

But I wasn't about to tell a freshman that.

His eyes narrowed as he fought to remember the details of the dream. "It always begins with just the clouds in view. Soon after, I see the cat falling and then the shadows come to loom in the distance not long after that, as if racing to catch the cat." He paused. "Do you have any ideas about what it could mean?"

I _did_, in fact, have a hunch; I started to explain. "I think the –"

I had time for no more.

A demonic aura suddenly came out of nowhere and assaulted my already strained senses. I let out a heavy exhale. This didn't bode well.

I had the freshman quickly grab his painting and flee the courtyard. I led him to the front gate rapidly, figuring that I'd need more space to confront the demon than the courtyard provided if there was to still _be_an Academy by the time I was through.

That was, of course, assuming that I could stay conscious that long.

I sighed. This didn't look good.

As we ran for the front gates, I prayed Sesshoumaru was still somewhere on campus. I didn't know what I'd do if it turned out he'd already returned home.

We reached the opening gates, and I told the still-quivering freshman to keep running until he got far enough away that he couldn't see the school anymore.

Once I was sure that he was a moderately safe distance away, I turned back to the black and purple cloud that had gathered above the Academy. I summoned my power and tried to use the bare minimum of energy to keep it maintained until the moment when I needed it.

The miasma finally took a shape. But really, when I say _shape_ I really mean a shadow that had an anthropomorphic look to it. It was larger than most demons and I judged it to be approximately a B to A Class youkai. It wouldn't be easy in my present condition, but I would do my best to defend the school, even if Sesshoumaru didn't show up.

Pulling my illness-weary mind together, I focused on drawing energy to my palms as the humanistic mass came at me. I scanned for a weak spot in the mass, but it just looked like a great collection of water particles in the air, which would make any one spot difficult to hit, for it would just separate and _make__sure_ I missed.

Deciding to blow the whole thing out of the water, I drew even more into the stores of my power, even reaching as deep as the energy that allowed for bodily f unction and consciousness. I knew I would be weak as an infant afterwards, but if it got rid of the nuisance, it was a price I was willing to pay.

I expanded the energy I had collected thus far into a wide shield of sorts, making it impossible for even the steam-like cloud to avoid the attack. But as I fought to drag the last half of the power needed for me to finish the demon, a uniform-clad figure jumped in front of me and let his demonic power have its head. It forced my carefully drawn out power back to me and my already-exhausted body absorbed it gratefully out of reflex.

As the figure landed, I was not surprised to see my partner standing there, still in his uniform, and his hair now loose and free, unlike the low ponytail he usually adopts during school hours.

I shifted my gaze up to his normally-stoic face, and saw an indescribable fury hidden behind the characteristically frigid eyes of his, making him take on a tightly restrained demeanor. He was furious, I could tell. The question was: Why?

He glared at me long and hard, and then turned on his heel and summoned his own seemingly limitless power from the depths of his consciousness.

Staring in awe at the sheer force the attack held, I watched as Sesshoumaru's ferocious offensive maneuver soared through the air to slice through the demon time after time, the blade appearing and disappearing as it deftly separated and ripped the particles apart beyond repair. I sank to the ground partly in amazement, and partly from pure exhaustion that flooded my body as soon as the reckless sapping of power I forced upon myself had worn off.

The demon was made short work of, and much more efficiently than I could have done it, in my pathetic state.

He looked as if he spaced out for a minute, blankly staring at the place where the malicious youkai had floated only moments ago. His back was still turned to me, so I wasn't given a clue of what he was thinking so hard about until he turned around. By that time, he had carefully constructed his mask back over his regal features, and was now gazing at me with the same emotionless, apathetic look as always.

Striding towards me, he said tightly, "Get up."

I started, realizing with surprise that he wasn't at all as composed as he appeared. I shakily stood up from my fallen position on the ground.

~Kagura~

I watched as the compassionate princess stood shakily from her kneeling position. She staggered forward, but soon found her balance.

My eyes widened as Sesshoumaru, the 'Ice Prince', the most aloof and indifferent being I had ever met, human or demon, almost hesitantly took the girl's elbow and placed another careful hand at the small of her back, supporting her weathered body.

Their lips moved, and I suspected that Naomi was either thanking him or telling him to get the hell off. I chuckled. And if I knew that obstinate human, it would _definitely_be the latter. Either way, Sesshoumaru continued to allow the human to lean on him as they started to walk towards the gate.

Sesshoumaru seemed to get impatient at the snail's pace that the girl was only capable of performing at the moment, and gathered his youki to below his feet to lift him off the ground.

I watched in wonder and astonishment as they flew into the distance, with the newly-unconscious human priestess in the Demon Prince's arms.

Turning away from the window, an envious sigh escaped me. I wasn't sure if Naomi knew, but most any creature, human, demon, female _or_ male, would simply _die_to be in her shoes.

I rubbed my shoulder absently, unconsciously trying to rid myself of the lingering feel of the malicious and bruising hands. No matter how hard I had scrubbed myself while bathing yesterday, I could never seem to rid myself of the horrid scent of the man who had done this to me.

Not that it mattered now. I wouldn't go home anymore. As much as I didn't want to ask for anyone's help, I just couldn't _stand_ going back to that crazed, murderous uncle of mine. I never said as much to his face, but you'd think I had, with the amount of rage he always exerted whenever I was around.

I couldn't help but think how much worse it might have been if _he_ hadn't stepped in…

_*Flashback*_

_I was walking home after staying out late one night from doing whatever caught my fancy at the time. _

_Walking through a deserted side-street, I wondered if my uncle was in a fit as usual. If that was the case, I would just go into my room and bolt the door as I usually did. _

_I must have spaced out for a minute, because as I was passing by a late-night supermarket, I felt someone grab my hair and slam me into the nearest wall. _

_I cried out in protest and tried to kick and jab at the person knotting their greasy fingers in my scalp. I finally dared to open my eyes and my sight fell upon my uncle, who had, from the looks of it, come to look for me, as if this was later than usual in my coming home. If he had been sober, he would've realized that I stayed out late on purpose for one reason: to get away from him as much as possible. But no, I doubted he was even sane enough for that, even when that damned powder wasn't coursing through his veins._

_I fought for my life, because if he was as far gone as to come looking for me only to beat the hell out of me, he might actually mean to kill me this time. _

_His meaty palm suddenly clamed around my throat, cutting off both circulation and respiratory functions._

_I choked and clawed at him, but my blows became weaker and weaker as he pounded my shoulders and torso with vicious punches. _

_Just as I was about to black out for what looked to be the final time, I heard an icy voice to my left. _

"_You're in my way." _

_The voice didn't elaborate further as he said, "Step aside."_

_My uncle heard him, but he was too far gone to care about some stranger who would try to keep him from collecting what he thought was owed to him. "Get lost, junior!"_

_One moment I was hanging, literally, in death's grip, the next I was free, my chest heaving and greedily sucking in the rancid air that surrounded me. I looked to my left where my massive uncle was sprawled, unconscious on the ground, groaning, with large, purpling bumps appearing on his knees, head, and arms from a few well-placed, powerful punches. _

_Looking to my left, I saw my unlikely savior calmly walking away in the other direction, his beautiful, mid-thigh-length platinum hair swaying back and forth as he strode purposely away from the scene. _

_I tried to call out to him to say thank you, but my voice wouldn't come out. I tried a few more times and eventually I got a small croak, but that was all that was left after the abuse that my throat had suffered from being manhandled and screaming so much. _

_Eventually I managed a quiet 'thank you', but by then, the quickly walking young man had disappeared into the dark abyss of the city a few blocks away. _

_I ended up going home and locking my door fiercely and set my phone to go off at an ungodly hour so I could get away from the house before my uncle got back and sought revenge for something I hadn't done, as usual. _

~End Flashback~

Now that I think back on it, I should've gone to a friends' house as soon as the abuse started occurring. I should've swallowed my pride and just left. The problem was, I hadn't the courage to do something that might make my uncle hate me even more. On the other hand, he might not even notice I was gone at all. Still, I never would've thought of leaving, masochistic as it seems.

But Naomi would have. I chuckled. No, there was definitely no doubt there. She would've left, and run, and no one would've thought twice about it. She wouldn't have been scared of the consequences.

But seeing her weak and defenseless, weary with sickness, and _still_offering to help me out, even though I had been nothing but a snob to her, changed something. I hadn't been sure what it was, at first, but I saw it now.

I wasn't scared anymore.

Straightening my shoulders, I turned around and headed for the door of the classroom I had been using as a hideout. I kept chanting to myself that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Naomi's tired but enthusiastic face flashed through my mind.

_Because I had a friend._

**Alright, now I know that the dream scene might have flown over some heads, but I would really like you all to tell me what you__think the portrait might mean. I will be happy to tell you what my interpretation of the dream was if you tell me yours. After all, things like this are allabout the different interpretations that people have about them! I'll be looking forward to it!**

**Also, I know the abuse issue might be a little extreme for some, but from what I've seen, some abuse victims are afraid to run, not for fear their abuser will find them, but just out of fear of not knowing what's going to happen, and coupled with the common feeling of helpless solitude that occurs in situations like this, the whole scenario can get to be quite terrifying. **

**Please Read and Review! I would love to hear some feedback after a long absence! lol**

**~White Jem~ **


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